From Mainichi:

Teacher reprimanded for punching late student in the face

NAGOYA — A junior high school teacher received a formal reprimand on Wednesday after he punched a student in the face, officials said.

The 43-year-old teacher, an advisor to the school’s soccer club in Aisai, slapped a member of the team on the cheek because the student was late to practice on the morning of April 17.

The next day, the student was again late to practice and the teacher warned him once more. The student began to sulk prompting the teacher to punch him in the face, according to officials of the Aichi Prefectural Board of Education.

The student suffered minor cuts to the mouth, officials said.

It’s pretty amusing that a teacher would go as far as slapping or punching a student for being late to morning practice (coming to school 30 minutes to an hour early every day to practice).  In my experience at Japanese junior high schools, it would seem that the only time teachers get angry or attempt to punish students is when they are late for class or are not wearing their uniform properly.  The rest of the time, whether the students are opening fighting, walking around in the middle of a lecture, shouting out loud and annoying stuff in the middle of class or sleeping, the teachers hardly do anything.  If you are going to punch a student, punch them for disrupting class.