Every autumn, communities across Japan pull ornate wooden floats called danjiri through the streets, a tradition dating back three centuries. But two deaths and several injuries on Oct. 10 in Izumiotsu and Izumisano have revived longstanding concerns over safety. In both cases, multi-ton floats toppled while making sharp turns, crushing participants. Because danjiri is a religious rite, local community boards—not police—set safety rules, and many resist major changes.
Katsunori Fujita, 71, a council chairman in Izumiotsu who witnessed the accident, said he will keep enforcing safety measures during practice runs. But he acknowledged that his district is unlikely to alter the rules, and police are hesitant to intervene in the Shinto ritual.
The danjiri began as a harvest ritual in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, and later spread nationwide. Over time, it evolved into the “fighting festival,” known for violent scuffles and daring 90-degree turns. Rules introduced in the 1950s helped reduce collisions, but accidents persist. In 2022 and 2023, four people died and 32 were injured in four separate incidents.
Calls for bans or reforms surface every year, yet change remains limited. Recently, the deputy mayor of Saijo on Shikoku Island died while being hoisted onto a three-ton taikodai float. Associate Professor Hisao Arimoto of Konan Women’s University noted that despite annual outcry, few reforms follow.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing