{
  "id": 16261269,
  "title": "Danger, death and devotion: Japan’s festivals face crisis after fatal accidents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/danger-death-and-devotion-japans-festivals-face-crisis-after-fatal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-24T01:30:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3371913/danger-death-and-devotion-japans-festivals-face-crisis-after-fatal-accidents"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan's age-old festivals are under scrutiny following a series of deadly accidents during recent autumn celebrations, prompting concerns about how communities can safeguard their cultural practices while prioritizing public safety. Over the past few weeks, three fatalities and more than a dozen injuries have occurred at various festivals across the country. Following two deaths in February at a major festival, organizers have decided to cancel next year's event due to safety concerns. The fatalities have sparked debates over whether certain festivals should be abandoned, despite experts warning that their loss would diminish local identity and cultural heritage.\n\nOn October 10, a danjiri (wooden festival float) in Izumisano, near Osaka, overturned, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old man helping to balance it. A day later, a 48-year-old man died after being pinned beneath a float in nearby Izumiotsu. The following Saturday, Akihiro Nabae, the deputy mayor of Saijo in Ehime prefecture, was crushed to death by a three-tonne float carrying a large Japanese taiko drum. These accidents have been widely circulated on social media, leading to calls for dangerous events to be halted. Former Osaka governor Toru Hashimoto voiced his concerns, emphasizing that tradition should not take precedence over the well-being of children and babies, and that safety should remain the absolute priority.\n\nWhile some communities are attempting to adapt rather than cancel their festivals, others have decided to scrap them altogether. The 200-year-old Katsuyama Fighting Danjiri festival in Okayama prefecture resumed after a two-year hiatus caused by a previous participant's death. This year, new safety measures were introduced, resulting in no injuries. However, the 500-year-old Saidaiji Festival – known as the \"Naked Man Festival\" – has canceled its 519th event in February. Three participants suffered concussion during the festival this year; two later died. Festival organizers expressed deep regret over the loss of two lives and acknowledged the difficulty in holding the event with safety as the top priority. Hiromichi Kubota of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties highlighted that festivals play a vital role in community identities, emphasizing that only a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of annual events result in injury or death. Kubota attributed the escalating safety risks to the pandemic-induced suspension of festivals, the erosion of practical skills and knowledge, and the declining birth rate and ageing population, which may force older participants to engage in physically demanding tasks. Takashi Minamoto of the non-profit Japan Festival Network agreed that these traditional events, which often have religious roots, continue to provide spiritual support for local communities. While safety remains a top priority, Minamoto believes that the community organizers are best equipped to determine appropriate safety measures and cautioned against excessive bureaucratic intervention.",
  "summary": "Japan’s centuries-old festivals are facing renewed scrutiny after a series of fatal accidents in recent weeks, raising questions over how communities can preserve their cultural traditions without putting lives at risk. Three people have been killed and more than a dozen injured in accidents at autumn festivals across the country in recent weeks. Meanwhile, organisers of another major festival,…",
  "key_points": [
    "Three deaths and over a dozen injuries at Japanese festivals this autumn",
    "Danjiri float accidents in Izumisano and Izumiotsu claim two lives",
    "Saidaiji Festival, known as the Naked Man Festival, cancels 519th event"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}