Since 2004, there have been 12 instances of young children dying of heatstroke or suffocation when left in locked cars while parents play pachinko. The National Police Agency has now sent a recommendation to the pachinko parlour industry telling them to bar customers who leave children behind in their car parks. The parlours are being asked to patrol the car parks every hour and make in-store announcements. Police also want them to step up PR activities to stamp out the practice. One industry group says that it received an earlier request from police to make regular checks on the car parks but said some parents had taken to blocking the windows or throwing a sheet over their kids to conceal the fact they'd been left there. They say they encounter about 30 cases a year of kids being left in cars. Parents' responses are "I didn't think it was that hot" while some leave the engine running with the air-conditioning on. The industry says it isn't opposed to the police request but does wonder what how it can respond effectively. Some have creche facilities but the cost for most operators is prohibitive.
Source (Japanese)