Danger, death and devotion: Japan’s festivals face crisis after fatal accidents
A number of tragic deaths have forced local communities across Japan to reconsider centuries of sacred tradition in the name of safety
Three people have been killed and more than a dozen injured in accidents at autumn festivals across the country in recent weeks. Meanwhile, organisers of another major festival, where two men died in February, have cancelled next year’s event, citing public safety concerns.
The fatalities have fuelled calls for some festivals to be scrapped, even as experts warn that abandoning them would erase an important part of local identity and cultural heritage.
