Corporal punishment has long been a tradition in the Japanese school sports scene, just as it has in Japanese society as a whole.
As it has come to be considered a problem, the number of cases have seemingly been on the decline. But at the same time, there is still a long way to go before corporal punishment is eliminated from the country.
In 2012, a boy's basketball team player at Osaka's Sakuranomiya High School killed himself after repeatedly being targeted for physical punishment by the team's head coach because he was the team captain. That case was reported on extensively and recognized as something the nation cannot overlook.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.