On the afternoon of Monday, April 13, police found the body of a child in woodland in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture. The following day, investigators confirmed it was the remains of the missing 11-year-old boy, Yuki Adachi.
The body was discovered about 8 kilometers northeast of the boy’s home and roughly 2 kilometers southwest of Sonobe Municipal Elementary School, which he attended. Authorities said the remains were badly decomposed, indicating that a significant amount of time may have passed since death.
The cause of death has not been revealed. However, Kyoto prefectural police suspect he was a victim of foul play. The autopsy indicated that the boy died sometime in late March.
Yuki Adachi, 11, Disappeared on Way to School
Adachi was reported missing more than three weeks ago. Police say his father drove him to school on March 23, but he never arrived in class. The boy’s homeroom teacher notified his mother around noon that he had not shown up. Security camera footage did not capture him entering the school grounds.
Six days later, a relative found his yellow backpack in a wooded area about 3 kilometers from the school.
Two weeks passed before another development. On Sunday, police found a pair of children’s shoes in a mountainous area between his home and the school. The body discovered the following day was found about 5 kilometers northeast of where the sneakers had been located and was not wearing shoes. He was dressed in a navy-blue fleece top and beige pants.
When Adachi was last seen, he was wearing black sneakers, a black-and-gray fleece top and beige chino pants, and was carrying a yellow backpack. Approximately 1,000 officers were involved in the search.
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Updated On April 15, 2026
AloJapan.com