Safety issues surrounding Japan’s traditional festivals have come into focus following a series of fatal accidents involving large floats and crowds. A deputy mayor in Saijo, a city in western Japan, died on Saturday after becoming trapped beneath a giant float during the community’s annual festival celebration. The incident occurred as participants were transporting the structure as part of the festivities.
This fatality followed two similar deaths that occurred in nearby Osaka prefecture less than two weeks earlier. Both men were killed when wooden floats toppled during Danjiri festival events, with the accidents resulting in injuries to 16 people overall. Authorities attributed the incidents to floats, some weighing as much as 4 tonnes, tipping over as they were being rapidly maneuvered around sharp corners by large groups of participants.
The sharp turns, called yarimawashi, are considered central attractions at these festivals and trace their origins to harvest prayers. In Saijo, where the festival has been held since the Edo period, approximately 11 floats were positioned closely together at the time of the deputy mayor’s death. The precise circumstances—whether Nabae lost his balance or the float collapsed on top of him—remain unclear according to local police investigations.
Saijo’s mayor expressed his shock over the tragedy and extended condolences to the deceased official’s family. The annual Saijo festivals, which feature over 100 floats, are traditionally held to express gratitude to Shinto deities for successful grain harvests. The recent deaths have drawn attention to broader safety practices at Japan’s cultural celebrations, particularly regarding the management of heavy structures and crowd control during high-speed maneuvers.
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