Regarding the fatal danjiri (festival float) accident in Miyamachi, Izumiotsu City—which was mentioned in “Video 2” of yesterday’s article—a new clip has been uploaded showing the incident from a front-facing angle. A 48-year-old man lost his life in this accident. Looking at the footage, it’s clear that another person nearby also came perilously close to being struck in the head!
Video 1
Video 2
From the Onbashira Festival to the Yamakasa: Recurring Accidents at Festivals
As seen in the accident in Izumiotsu City, incidents where large, hauled structures overturn—resulting in deaths and injuries—have occurred repeatedly at traditional festivals across Japan, not just at the Danjiri Festival. At the Onbashira Festival in the Suwa region of Nagano Prefecture, the “ki-otoshi” (timber-dropping) ritual—in which massive logs are slid down a slope—has led to fatalities in 1980, 1986, 1992, 2010, and 2016. In 2023, a man was run over and killed by a yamakasa (float) during the Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival in Fukuoka Prefecture, while at the Sanno Festival in Shiga Prefecture that same year, a mikoshi (portable shrine) overturned, injuring approximately 10 people. Although the objects involved—whether logs, yamakasa, or mikoshi—differ, these festivals share a common tradition: the manual maneuvering of large, heavy objects through sharp turns or down steep descents. Despite concerns regarding the inherent dangers, these practices have persisted without any significant changes to their fundamental methods.
Specifically concerning the Danjiri Festival, it has been pointed out that a shortage of regular participants often leads to the inclusion of inexperienced amateurs or friends, and that a lack of clear communication among them contributes to accidents. While some communities have taken steps following such accidents—such as modifying the structural design of the floats or conducting thorough pre-event inspections of the routes—there is no unified, nationwide approach; instead, measures remain limited to individual, localized responses.
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