THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 15, 2022 at 15:47 JST
TONDABAYASHI, Osaka Prefecture--A man was killed and three others badly injured after a “danjiri” float overturned on a street here during the popular Tondabayashi Danjiri autumn festival.
The men in their 40s to 60s were pinned under the float shortly after it was brought to a stop and began swaying.
They were taken to a hospital, where the death of Kenji Yasuda, 52, a construction worker, was confirmed.
Float pulling was suspended in the district where the accident occurred around 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 14. However, the festival that started earlier that evening will go on in other parts of the city until Oct.16.
The accident occurred near a bus stop about 1.5 kilometers southeast of the Kintetsu Line’s Tondabayashi Station.
The Kishiwada Danjiri festival, also held in Osaka Prefecture, is perhaps more famous and it, too, has had its share of accidents due to the speed with which the heavy floats are maneuvered around street corners.
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A float used in the Tondabayashi Danjiri festival (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
