Safety concerns mount over Japan’s traditional festivals after string of fatal accidents
Deputy mayor of Saijo died after becoming trapped under float, days after two similar incidents elsewhere There is mounting concern over the safety of Japan’s traditional festivals after the death of a senior local official who was reportedly crushed beneath a float at an event at the weekend, days after two men died in similar accidents in another part of the country. Akihiro Nabae, the deputy…
Recent tragic accidents have raised safety concerns over Japan's traditional festivals. A week ago, deputy mayor Akihiro Nabae of Saijo, western Japan, was crushed under a float during a festival, later dying in the hospital. This incident follows two others where men were killed in similar accidents at Danjiri festivals in Osaka and a nearby town.
All the incidents occurred when the floats, weighing up to 4 tonnes, toppled as they were pulled at high speed by hundreds of men through tight corners. Police in Saijo said 16 people were injured in the accidents, with 11 floats, each weighing up to 3 tonnes, lined up at the time of the incident. The Saijo festival, held annually since the Edo period, is a thanksgiving event for good harvests.
Saijo's mayor, Mitsuyoshi Ochi, expressed shock and condolences over Nabae's death, stating that the tragedy occurred just as they planned to collaborate on a new administration for the city.
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