The seven-year-old boy's parents first told police they had left him by the road to discipline him after he threw stones at people and cars.
A Japanese boy abandoned in a dense forest by his parents for being naughty was found alive and unharmed on Friday, nearly a week after his disappearance set off a massive search that kept the nation riveted.
Seven-year-old Yamato Tanooka was discovered in a building on a Japanese military base around 4 km from where he disappeared last Saturday after his parents left him by the side of a road, reportedly as discipline for throwing stones at cars.
"One of our soldiers was preparing for drills this morning and unlocked the door of a building on the base, and there he was," a member of Japan's Self-Defence Forces told NHK national television. "When he asked 'are you Yamato?' the boy said yes. Then he said he was hungry, so the soldier gave him some water, bread and riceballs."
Members of search party for the boy who went missing on May 28, 2016 after being left behind by his parents, celebrate after the boy was found alive, in Nanae town on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on June 3, 2016. Credit: Reuters
Yamato was taken to hospital for checks but no further information was immediately available. That included how he had managed to survive for nearly a week in the densely forested area, where night temperatures fell as low as 7 degrees Celsius (45 Fahrenheit) and heavy rain had fallen.
The boy's parents first said he disappeared while they foraged for edible plants, but later told police they had left him by the road to discipline him after he threw stones at people and cars. They said when they drove back a few minutes later the boy had disappeared. The area is so remote that residents of the region say they rarely go through it.
Japanese Self-Defence Force soldiers (R and 2nd R) and police officers search for a 7-year-old boy who went missing on May 28, 2016 after being left behind by his parents, in Nanae town on the northernmost Japanese main island of Hokkaido, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on June 2, 2016. Credit: Reuters
The search for the boy gripped Japan. At its peak, the search involved several hundred rescuers beating through heavy bush and shouting, as well as soldiers on motorbikes and police on horses. News programmes gave regular updates throughout the week, and the announcement that he was found merited a special alert on NHK.
The incident set off a flood of social media comment, with most posters lambasting the parents for their carelessness even as they prayed for the boy's safety. On Friday, most expressed relief, saying they had given up hope of a happy end. "To be honest, I was certain of a sad result. As the parent of a 7-year-old, all I can say is that I am really, really happy," one wrote.
Others said many questions remained. "What was really going on? I look forward to hearing the details. But no matter what happened, it's amazing that he's alive."
Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:
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 "This undate handout picture provided by an elementary school of Hokuto city shows Yamato Tanooka.")
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