A sitting deputy mayor in Japan died after being crushed by a festival float weighing about 3 tons. The float lost its balance and toppled during a performance. A string of deaths at traditional festivals in Japan has raised concerns about safety management.
The accident occurred at about 5:45 p.m. the previous day at the Saijo Matsuri festival in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, according to local media including the Asahi Shimbun and the Yomiuri Shimbun on the 18th. The victim was Deputy Mayor Akihiro Nabae, who took office in July. He was one of the participants carrying a festival float known as a taikodai. He was taken to a hospital immediately after the accident but was pronounced dead about an hour later. He had been in office for about three months.
At the time, participants were staging a kakikurabe performance, in which 11 floats are gathered and lifted onto the shoulders of bearers. The float involved in the accident was about 5.5 meters tall and weighed about 3 tons, according to reports. Local media believe the float lost its balance during the performance and fell on the deputy mayor. Authorities have not yet released official findings on the cause.
The Saijo Matsuri is a signature local festival dating back to the Edo period. Held to pray for a good harvest and give thanks for the crop, its main attraction is a performance in which decorated large floats are carried or hoisted. That means the centerpiece of the spectacle depends on the physical strength of the participants.
Before this accident, large wheeled floats known as danjiri toppled in succession on the 10th in Izumisano and Izumiotsu, Osaka Prefecture. Two men died in those accidents. The number of injured was reported at 16 to 17. Police said both accidents happened as the floats were changing direction at intersections.
According to Kyodo News, the two men who died had been assigned to hang onto the sides of the floats to keep them balanced. That means those positioned to stop the floats from tipping over were exposed to the greatest danger. The accidents occurred during a yarimawashi performance, in which the floats turn corners without slowing down. The maneuver is regarded as the festival's biggest draw.
This was not the first such incident. On the 3rd, a float toppled at an intersection in Sakai, injuring 11 men. Locally, debate continues over how the traditional festivals should be sustained and what safety measures are needed. Some argue that the dangerous performance styles should be revised. Police are investigating the causes of the accidents in the two areas.