The girls, ages 4 and 1, landed on protective mats placed below their apartment building during a police response.
KAKAMIGAHARA, Japan — A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after police said he threw his two young daughters from the balcony of a sixth-floor apartment in central Japan, with both children surviving after landing on protective mats below.
Tomokazu Miura was arrested in Kakamigahara, Gifu Prefecture, after the girls, ages 4 and 1, fell from the apartment early Sept. 26. Police had responded to the home hours earlier following an emergency call from Miura’s wife. The children were conscious when they were taken to a hospital, and their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, according to reports citing police. Miura remained silent during questioning after his arrest.
The police response began late Sept. 25 after Miura’s wife contacted authorities and reported that her husband was acting violently. Japanese media reported that she told police he had forcibly grabbed her arm during an argument. Officers went to the apartment building and spoke with the wife outside the residence while Miura remained inside with the two children.
Police urged Miura to leave the apartment, but he refused to comply, according to reports citing investigators. Officers remained at the scene into the early morning and prepared to enter the residence. Emergency crews also positioned protective mats and other equipment on the ground below the apartment, a precaution that later helped cushion the children’s fall.
Authorities said the girls went over the sixth-floor balcony at about 4:20 a.m. as police were moving to enter the apartment. Investigators allege that Miura threw both children from the balcony. Each girl landed on the protective equipment below and was taken for medical treatment. Police said both were conscious during transport, and available reports indicated neither was believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.
Miura, described by Japanese news reports as a part-time worker, was taken into custody at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. The allegation has not been proven in court. Police had not publicly established a motive, and Miura had not provided investigators with an account of what happened during initial questioning.
Security cameras near the apartment building recorded the fall, according to Japanese broadcasters. Video carried by news organizations shows the area around the building and indistinct figures falling toward the ground. The footage does not clearly identify the children, and investigators have continued examining the circumstances inside the apartment before the fall.
Miura was referred to prosecutors Sept. 27, according to Japanese media. Investigators were examining the events leading up to the incident, including the reported dispute between Miura and his wife and the hours-long police response at the apartment. Authorities had not publicly released a detailed account of everything that occurred inside the residence before officers entered.
The case remained under investigation as of Sept. 28. The two girls survived and were receiving medical care, while Miura remained accused of attempted murder. Authorities had not announced additional charges or released further details about the children’s injuries in the latest reports reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 28, 2026.