THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 23, 2025 at 17:48 JST
Imai Elementary School is located in Ome, a mountainous area in the western suburbs of Tokyo. (Kohei Uwabo)
Twenty children and two adults were hospitalized after being attacked apparently by a swarm of hornets at a public elementary school in Ome, western Tokyo, on Oct. 23.
All victims remained conscious when transported, according to police.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at Imai Elementary School, when first-grade pupils were participating in a nature activity near a school garden.
Officials believe the stings were caused by Vespula flaviceps, a ground-nesting hornet species known locally as “kuro-suzumebachi” or “jibachi.”
The nest, discovered in the soil near the garden, has since been removed.
A 21-year-old alumna of the school, who lives nearby, expressed surprise at the news.
“I remember frogs being everywhere near the garden, but I don’t recall ever seeing hornets,” she said.
(This article was written by Shun Yoshimura, Noriki Nishioka and Kohei Uwabo.)
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