It has been five years since the bus accident on a ski tour that killed 15 people, including university students, in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture.

At the scene, the bereaved families held a memorial service together for the first time on the day of the accident.

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 without being able to turn the curve, killing 15 people including university students and injuring 26 people. ..



On the 15th, five years after the accident, the bereaved families of five of the 13 college students who died held a memorial service together for the first time on the day of the accident.



Looking back on the activities of the five years after the accident in front of the memorial monument, he renewed his determination to continue asking the government to strengthen bus safety measures.

Yoshinori Tahara, the representative of the Bereaved Family Association, who called for a memorial service together, said, "Looking back on the past five years with the bereaved families in front of the memorial monument, I reconfirmed that there are still things we can do to prevent recurrence. I think it's easy to forget about the accident after that, but I think it will help prevent weathering if the bereaved family keeps raising their voices that they will never cause an accident again. "



In addition, the father of a university student, Eri Ikeda (19 at the time), who died in an accident, said, "Even after five years, my feelings haven't changed for a day. I think I feel sadder than ever. 5 It was a joint memorial service at the turning point of the year, but it was nice to see the energetic appearance of other bereaved families. I think that the bus industry and the travel industry are difficult to manage due to the influence of the new coronavirus, but that does not mean I strongly hope that you will never repeat the same accident without sacrificing safety. "

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism donates flowers to memorial monument

In a ski tour bus accident in Karuizawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Akabane visited a memorial monument near the site before 2:00 pm on the 15th and handed a bouquet.



After that, he exchanged greetings with the bereaved family, including Yoshinori Tahara, who lost his second son in an accident, in front of the memorial monument.



Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said that it was the first time for him to visit the site on the day of the accident, and Minister Akabane told reporters, "It has been five years since the accident, but I pray for the souls of those who died in the bus accident. We would also like to express our deepest sympathies to all the victims and their families. To the bereaved families who spoke in front of the memorial monument, we would like to express our deepest condolences for the loss of our beloved children and the accident. I am grateful for the various suggestions I received to prevent a recurrence, and I promised to continue talking and said that I would like to work to avoid wasting sacrifices. " Said.

The father who lost his 19-year-old son

At the memorial monument near the accident site, Yoshihiko Otani, who lost his son Rikuto in the accident before noon on the 15th, handed flowers with other bereaved families.

Prior to this, Mr. Otani said, "Every time I come to the scene, I remember a tragic accident. My son had a short life of 19 years, but I imagined 5 years that I should have lived with. New Corona I think the bus industry will be tough due to the effects of the virus, but I would like you to pay the utmost attention to safety without reducing costs and to prevent accidents. "