Child’s July drowning in west Japan river sparks renewed water safety education push

SAIJO, Ehime — The tragic deaths of children in water-related accidents have been reported across Japan this summer. One of the victims was a 10-year-old girl who drowned in the Kamogawa river in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, in July. The incident shocked local authorities, who had been working hard to prevent such tragedies after similar accidents in the past.

On the afternoon of July 24, the city held a lifejacket safety workshop at the Saijo sports park pool. During the session, Masatoshi Saiki from the city’s sports and health division asked the eight participating children, “What do you think the survival rate is when wearing a lifejacket?” When he then told them the answer — “around 90%” — they looked surprised.

The participants learned how to select lifejackets fitting their body sizes and had the opportunity to try them on and test them in the pool. One fourth grader, wearing a lifejacket for the first time, said, “I felt reassured because I floated even when I relaxed. I want to wear one when playing in the river.” The four-day workshop, which ran until July 27, saw a total of 65 participants.

In July 2012, 5-year-old Shinnosuke Yoshikawa drowned in the Kamogawa river during a kindergarten camping trip. In 2018, a civil court ruling found that the kindergarten was negligent for not requiring lifejackets. This led to the start of the lifejacket workshops in 2022, now in their third year. Noriyoshi Shiozaki, a section chief at the city’s sports and health division, emphasized, “Lives can be saved by wearing lifejackets. We want parents to recognize their importance and encourage their children to make a point of putting them on.”

According to the National Police Agency, 71 children of junior high school age or under died or went missing in water-related accidents between July and August from 2019 to 2023. Rivers were the most common locations, accounting for 37 of the victims.

Efforts to protect children’s lives extend beyond government initiatives. After Shinnosuke’s death, about 15 of his classmates and their parents began organizing regular awareness events in the city. Since 2018, they have continued their activities as the citizens group Love & Safety Saijo. Member Naoko Shinmyo declared, “We will continue to raise our voices until wearing lifejackets becomes second nature, aiming for zero serious accidents.”

Driven by regret

Another member Ippei Kubo, 52, who now runs an outdoor shop near the Kamogawa river, was a staff member at a campsite near where 5-year-old Shinnosuke died, and tried to resuscitate him. His regret at not being able to save the boy, and his desire to prevent such tragic accidents, is the foundation of his ongoing efforts. In the summer of 2021, he created the “Kamogawa river map,” which highlights dangerous areas and emphasizes the importance of wearing lifejackets through illustrations. He also conducts lifejacket workshops at local schools.

Despite these continued efforts, another child’s life was lost along the river this summer. “It’s frustrating,” said Kubo. “But we have no choice but to keep spreading the word.” Just two days after the most recent accident, on July 9, Kubo and Shinmyo donated 8,500 copies of the Kamogawa map to the Saijo Municipal Board of Education. On July 11, the board held an emergency meeting of school principals, where Kubo was invited to speak.

Kubo addressed the principals of all 35 elementary and junior high schools in the city, explaining the characteristics and dangers of the river and emphasizing the importance of parental supervision. He also mentioned a July 2014 incident where two high school students drowned in quick succession, saying, “When you tell children about the reality of people losing their lives, they listen seriously and consider it personally. Please convey that this is a place where people can easily die without proper precautions.”

Kazuo Ochi, principal of Shonai Elementary School, where 30 students lost their lives in the 1955 Shiun Maru ferry disaster in the Seto Inland Sea, expressed his renewed commitment to safety education, saying, “We need to advance instruction that makes children think about how to protect their own lives.”

New river safety signs

The girl who drowned in the Kamogawa river in July was visiting from neighboring Niihama. During summer vacation, children often play in unfamiliar waters, making safety education for visitors a critical issue.

In mid-August, Ehime Prefecture, which manages the Kamogawa river, installed two new signs near the accident site. Measuring 1.2 meters tall and 1.7 meters wide, the signs read “Frequent Fatal Accidents” and “Wear Life Jackets,” with one sign also featuring Kubo’s Kamogawa river map.

An official from the local prefectural office explained, “We believe that installing new signs is an effective way to inform visitors especially from outside the city about the dangers.” The river has sudden deep drop-offs and spots where the currents change unexpectedly. A Saijo education board official said, “We want people to have a healthy respect for water and treat it with caution.”

(Japanese original by Hiroyuki Yamanaka, Matsuyama Bureau)