Tragedy In Japan As Deputy Mayor Dies At Annual Festival

A traditional festival in Japan ended in tragedy after a Deputy Mayor, Akihiro Nabae, was crushed to death by a huge festival float.

Naija News learned that the 62-year-old Deputy Mayor of Saijo in Ehime Prefecture died on Saturday after the accident during the Saijo Festival.

According to reports, Nabae was among the people carrying the float when the incident happened on a riverbed in the city at about 5:45 p.m. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead about an hour later.

No other person was injured in the incident, police report noted.

Nabae’s death comes just a week after two people died in separate incidents at danjiri festivals in Osaka Prefecture.

The Saijo Festival is the collective name for annual celebrations held at four shrines in the city. The tradition dates back to Japan’s Edo Period, which lasted from 1603 to 1867.

The festival features more than 100 floats and other portable structures, including mikoshi, which are portable shrines, and danjiri festival floats, Naija News understands.

According to the police and the municipal government, the float, known as a taikodai, was about 5.3 metres tall and weighed between two and three tonnes.

At the time of the accident, 11 floats had been lined up side by side for a traditional contest called kakikurabe. During the contest, teams carrying the floats compete to show their strength and skill in moving the heavy structures.

According to JapanTimes, Saijo Mayor Mitsuyoshi Ochi expressed shock and sadness over Nabae’s death, saying the two had been preparing to work together to build a new administration for the city.

“Just when we were about to work together to build a new administration for Saijo, this tragedy occurred. I still cannot believe it. I offer my heartfelt condolences,” Ochi said in a statement.

Nabae previously served as director of Saijo’s environmental department before becoming deputy mayor in July this year.

The Saijo Police Station has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident.