Viral bullying clips, mass murder threat sound alarm in Japan over school violence

South China Morning PostEN 2 min read 100% complete by Julian RyallJanuary 18, 2026 at 02:30 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

Recent viral videos depicting bullying in Japanese schools have raised concerns about rising school violence. One incident in Oita city involved a bullying video followed by an email threatening a mass killing at the implicated junior high school on January 15th. Police were alerted and security was increased, though the threat did not materialize. The Oita city board of education confirmed they were investigating the bullying video, which showed a student assaulting another. Simultaneously, authorities in Tochigi prefecture opened an investigation into a similar bullying incident from December 19th, also captured on video and shared online. Experts suggest that official statistics may underestimate the true extent of school violence in Japan.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tokyo 50% Kyushu 60% Tochigi prefecture 60% Prefectural Police 60% Oita city 70% Board of Education ×270% Japan 90%

Keywords

school violence 100% bullying 90% mass murder threat 80% viral clips 70% social media 60% police investigation 50% education authority 50% oita city 40% tochigi prefecture 40%