One book given by my late son-Karuizawa ski bus accident 5 years-January 15 14:06
A book that his son was reading is back to a man who lost his 19-year-old son in a sudden accident.
The impact of the accident, or a piece of glass stuck between the pages.
After that, the man continued to run as a representative of the bereaved family association of the Karuizawa ski bus accident.
What pushed him?
I heard what I always wanted to hear.
(Nagano Broadcasting Station reporter Mitsunori Saito)
Please come to check the body
Yoshinori Tahara (55).
Five years ago, before dawn on January 15, 2016, a ski tour bus fell to the side of the road in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, killing 15 passengers including college students, and his second son Hiroshi (Kan / 19 years old at that time) ) Lost.
Hiroshi was a sophomore at Tokyo Metropolitan University (currently Tokyo Metropolitan University) and was aiming to become a social worker in the future.
Mr. Tahara, who lives in Osaka, learned from the morning news that an accident had occurred.
At this point, I didn't think Hiroshi was involved in the accident.
"I heard that Hiroshi would go skiing that day, so I was talking to my wife that it was" unpleasant. "I didn't answer even if I made a LINE or phone call, but I wonder if I arrived early and went to bed. I was only thinking about it. "
Shortly thereafter, I received a call from a number I didn't know at home.
"Come to check the body."
It was from the Karuizawa police station.
Mr. Tahara was contacted by his wife and immediately headed to Karuizawa.
Yoshinori Tahara
"I honestly couldn't believe it, and I thought it was a mistake. The moment I arrived at the site, I was struck by the reality, and I felt sad, regretful, and angry. My wife was screaming, "Get up! Get up!" As if you were sleeping in the place. I felt like I was going to get up. "
"Promise" at night
Mr. Tahara doesn't remember much right after the accident.
A few days later, we will have a night out in Osaka.
In front of Hiroshi's casket the day before the night, Mr. Tahara continued to think about what he could do from now on.
Then I decided on two things and told Hiroshi as a "promise".
The promise was read aloud in a condolence.
One is to look forward no matter how sad you are.
And the other is to prevent the recurrence of accidents.
Yoshinori Tahara
"We are in a situation where our family is in terrible sadness and cannot look forward, but I felt that Hiroshi was saying,'Look forward'. I caused a tragic accident again. Don't. If you wake up again, your child's death will be wasted. Everything started with the promise of the night and has been around for the last five years. "
A book with broken glass
Among the activities that sometimes obscured the destination, there was one that pushed Mr. Tahara's back.
This is one book.
The title is "How to change society".
It is written by Eiji Oguma, a historical sociologist.
It was in Hiroshi's relics, which came back more than a month after the accident.
There was a piece of glass stuck between the pages, and Mr. Tahara once again felt the horror of the accident.
What was my son interested in?
As I read on, I found out how to change society and the importance of taking action.
Mr. Tahara swore to Mr. Hiroshi to prevent the recurrence of the accident when he went to the night.
It seems that it overlaps with the contents of the book that Hiroshi was reading, and it is said that he was encouraged.
Yoshinori Tahara
"I promised Hiroshi that the bereaved family could change the world, so it may be a coincidence, but when I found the book, I was really surprised and Hiroshi pushed me back. I was convinced that
Mr. Tahara set up a bereaved family association the month after the accident.
The name was "1.15 Primrose Association".
Named after the flowers in Karuizawa, which were delivered to all the bereaved families along with the relics after the accident.
He started his activities as a representative of the bereaved family association, such as holding a press conference for explanations from the bus company and travel agency that caused the accident.
There is another thing that encourages Mr. Tahara.
It is a blue tie that you always wear when you take the lead in the bereaved family and face the country and the bus industry.
I found it while organizing the relics at Hiroshi's boarding house.
"When I wear this tie when I'm doing activities such as bereaved families, I feel like I can fight to change society with Hiroshi. I'm not alone. Hiroshi pushes his back and encourages me. I feel like they are doing it. "
To change society
Mr. Tahara and his family members exchanged opinions with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which has jurisdiction over bus operators, and requested 27 items as specific measures.
Of these, 25 items, such as the establishment of a private institution to check whether the business operator has violated the law, have been incorporated into the recurrence prevention measures issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
One of the two items that did not enter the national policy is to "prevent unfamiliar drivers from driving the bus."
The accident five years ago was investigated by police, and it is believed that a driver (death) who was unfamiliar with driving a large bus made a mistake in operating the steering wheel, etc., and is requesting the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to create a mechanism.
From autumn, we have started discussions with the National Police Agency, which has jurisdiction over driver's licenses.
Mr. Yoshinori Tahara
"Not only do I hope that such an accident will never happen again, but I also propose that a mechanism can be created. The country has been over if there was an accident and changed the system, but we also incorporated our opinions. I want to follow up so that I don't end up in the middle of the process, and I don't want to tone down. I think the activities over the past five years haven't been a mistake. "
A memorial service for all the bereaved families
Five years have passed since the accident, and Mr. Tahara is now beginning to feel impatient.
Immediately after the accident, Hiroshi often dreamed, but as time went on, he was less likely to dream.
At that time, Mr. Tahara reaffirmed his "promise" by looking at an album of Hiroshi's photographs.
If Hiroshi, who had a habit of saying "I want to do a job that is useful to society," is alive now ...
Mr. Tahara tries not to think too much, but I think he was busy running around as a social worker as the infection of the new coronavirus continued to spread.
And this time, I called for a bereaved family association.
Let's gather all the bereaved families on January 15th and give a memorial service at the accident site.
Until now, the bereaved families had never made a memorial service on the day of the accident, and this was the first call.
I don't know how many bereaved families will gather as the infection continues to spread, but Mr. Tahara thinks it makes sense to continue to appeal to society.
Yoshinori Tahara
"There is no basis, but many bereaved families have said that the accident will be forgotten by society after five years. At the memorial monument at the accident site, at the place where the children were last, five years I thought it would be good for everyone to get together and give a memorial service at the turning point. If the accident is forgotten and the same thing happens, we will create someone who feels the same as us. I want everyone in society to remember to leave it in the corner of their heads. "
Don't forget that accident
I have the opportunity to interview people who lost their families in an incident, accident, or disaster, but I don't know anyone other than Mr. Tahara who stood up and started working shortly after his sadness healed.
As I listen to the story repeatedly, I feel respect for Mr. Tahara's unwavering strength.
During the interview, Mr. Tahara repeatedly said, "Don't forget that accident."
I think that not only the people involved in the bus but also each of us will remember this accident, which will lead to the prevention of recurrence above all.
Karuizawa Town Ski Bus Accident
Before dawn on January 15, 2016, a ski tour bus in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture could not turn the curve and fell to the side of the road, killing 15 passengers including university students and injuring 26. ..
Two people, including the president of the company that operated the bus, were sent documents on suspicion of accidental fatal injury in business, and the Nagano District Public Prosecutor's Office is still investigating five years after the accident.
Naganohosokyoku reporter
Saito HikariTakashi
H29_nen'nyukyoku
after He joined, in charge of the police and judiciary, the current charge of, such as the transport sector and the economy, including the bus industry.
We are consistently covering bus accidents.