Funerals held for school massacre children

Funerals were being held today for five of the eight children massacred at school by a crazed knifeman.

The father of seven-year-old Mayuko Isaka wept as he told mourners in Ikeda, a quiet suburb of Osaka: "I saw her in the morning. She was chirpy and warm. The next time I saw her, her body was cold."

Yoshitaka Isaka also read from a school essay his daughter had recently written.

'I'm really looking forward to going to Universal Studios over summer vacation with my family,'she wrote. 'My family’s the most important thing for me in the world.'

Her former nursery school teacher had trouble containing her grief.

"She was such a cute and happy child," said Sanai Kitahara. "She loved to wear ribbons in her hair."

The horror unfolded on Friday, when Mamoru Takuma, a 37-year-old former janitor, walked unimpeded into the school and went from classroom to classroom slashing his victims with a knife until he was contained by two teachers 15 minutes later.

But by then eight children lay dead and 13 others, alongside two teachers were wounded - eight remain in a serious condition in hospital.

The dead ranged from six to eight-years-old.

At the funeral of another victim, seven-year-old Ayano Moriwaki, a framed picture of the girl was flanked by flower bouquets and letters from her classmates.

News reports said Takuma went on his killing spree just hours before he was scheduled to meet prosecutors for interrogation about another attack, a fight last year in an Osaka hotel.

Takuma, who also reportedly had money problems, had a history of mental problems and had taken 10 times his daily dose of anti-depressants before attacking the children.

The attack prompted Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to promise a review of Japan’s penal system and school boards nationwide convened to look into strengthening security measures.

It was especially shocking because Japanese schools pride themselves on their openness to the community. Most are busy on weekends and holidays with students taking part in extracurricular activities, and visits by parents are common.

Takuma was arrested two years ago on suspicion of slipping tranquillisers into the tea of teachers at the elementary school where he worked, police said.

Media reports said he was not charged because he was deemed mentally unstable and was sent to a hospital where he was diagnosed as schizophrenic and eventually released after treatment.