'Frustrated' Japan day care worker pinches child's nose for not wearing mask properly

NARA -- A "frustrated" worker at a private day care center in the Nara Prefecture town of Sango engaged in inappropriate behavior such as strongly pinching the nose of a child who was not properly covering it with a mask and yelling at children, the Nara Prefectural Government announced on Feb. 7.

The prefectural government on Feb. 3 instructed the social welfare corporation that operates the authorized child care facility Kibogaoka Daini Hoikuen in the town to take measures to prevent a recurrence.

According to the prefecture, the employee was in charge of a class of 3-year-old children, and strongly pinched the nose of a child who was not properly wearing a mask three to four times around November 2022. They also yelled at a child who got into a fight and slapped the hand of a child who had hit a friend.

The incidents came to light after organizations including the facility and the prefectural government conducted an investigation in response to a parent's inquiry. The care worker has apparently regretted their actions and was quoted as saying, "I did those acts out of frustration."

During the investigation, it was also discovered that the day care was forcing all children to eat the same amount of meals, and the prefectural government determined that this was also inappropriate.

(Japanese original by Satoshi Kubo, Nara Bureau)