# Man back in society after 43 years in wilderness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722 "2004-01-30T06:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/1 "2004-01-30T06:24:32Z")
[http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20040126wo23.htm](http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20040126wo23.htm) A 57-year-old Japanese man came back to society after living **43 years** in the woods. He survived by living in caves and catching snakes, frogs, rabbits and later, fishing. He was 14 when he ran away from home. Wow. He was caught by police when he tried to steal money from a vending machine. He said he was starved and fed up. He’s now living with a fishing buddy, earning money with a construction job and has even supposedly found a sweetheart. Sometimes, life really is stranger than fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/2 "2004-01-30T08:17:53Z")
Cripes! What _is_ is with [Japanese people hiding out in the wilderness?](http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/list.html) It makes Henry David Thoreau look like a frigging jet setter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/3 "2004-01-30T08:35:57Z")
I gotta tell ya, it’s tempting sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/4 "2004-01-30T09:07:59Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > It makes Henry David Thoreau look like a frigging jet setter. Incidentally, Thoreau was less out in the wilderness than a lot of people think. His cabin was about 50 yards from the local railroad track, and it was an easy walk into town. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/5 "2004-01-30T11:00:06Z")
In a month, he’ll return to the wilderness, having gotten fed up with all of the “Were you raised by WOLVES?” jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/6 "2004-01-30T20:28:20Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > In a month, he’ll return to the wilderness, having gotten fed up with all of the “Were you raised by WOLVES?” jokes. Bwaaaa haa haaa haaa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/7 "2004-01-30T20:36:27Z")
Holy “My Side of the Mountain,” Batman! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/8 "2004-01-30T20:51:06Z")
Maybe he’d buy my Pong set. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/9 "2004-01-31T04:12:14Z")
Now this is unfair, the man in question should have been given a heap of recent newspapers to read before deciding whether to come back into society or not. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/10 "2004-01-31T07:35:27Z")
He sure did choose the wrong time to rejoin society… ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-back-in-society-after-43-years-in-wilderness/226722/11 "2004-01-31T09:20:08Z")
Hear that, kids? There’s hope! It can be done! Disclaimer: the above is a joke. Do not try this at home. Please obey all applicable laws.