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City sued over girl's death caused by collapsed school wall

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The city and school only 20 years to comply with the regulations about wall height and construction. This is what Japan specializes in delay...delay...deny.

What a horrible thing to happen to a child. And not a single suiside by those responsible.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

The city assembly member took the action after his request that the mayor sue the workers was rejected last month on the grounds that the period for filing such a request had expired.

Right but the family of the girl killed still has the chance, your actions could very well impede their proceedings. I sincerely hope your goals are to help the girls family!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Why aren't the companies being sued?! They're the ones who failed to carry out proper inspections -- 3 times. And why aren't their names disclosed?

I guess it's easier to get innocent taxpayers to fork out a settlement rather than the corporate people directly responsible.

This is so often the case in Japan, like the Fukushima contractors and the exploiting intern providers. Corporations protected, public made to pay.

20 ( +21 / -1 )

Privatize the profits, socialize the losses.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Remember the typhoons that roared over Japan in August? A large section of the metal fence that runs along a school's playground near my place, separating the playground from the road, was smashed and twisted by a fallen tree. The fence still hasn't been fixed.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I hope the Olympic Stadium doesn't collapse

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Just another group-bow photo opportunity and we'll all move on.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

If anyone has been involved in an accident here in Japan, then you will know that Insurers by default place 20% of the blame upon the claimant... it was simply your fault for being there.... this is totally a bollocks way of working and defeats the point of having insurance.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Another case of frauduent safety inspections resulting in death in Japan. Looking at the photo it would seem to be quite clear the wall was in disrepair and in dire need of maintanence or reconstruction. It's saddening and maddening that a little girl had to die due to fraud.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Infrastructure related accidents will only rise and rise going forward. Over the last 25 years the Japanese Government has instituted countless "Stimulus Packages", designed to "support the economy". Many of these packages were heavily laden with various infrastructure related contracts.... millions of tons of cement was poured during this time. Various contractors benefited over the years and staved off bankruptcy. The side effect will definitely be.... gradual physical erosion and weakening of these projects. The country does not even have the manpower to maintain what they've built let alone the money. This is what happens when a government is left unchecked.... when they do as they please without voter backlash.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

"Takatsuki Mayor Takeshi Hamada announced earlier this month that all concrete block walls at city-run facilities will be removed within several years"

I'm glad there's no immediate threat.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Remember the typhoons that roared over Japan in August? A large section of the metal fence that runs along a school's playground near my place, separating the playground from the road, was smashed and twisted by a fallen tree. The fence still hasn't been fixed.

My local Aeon max value supermarket still has a dangling sign outside their parking lot from that typhoon...

8 ( +8 / -0 )

I'm glad there's no immediate threat.

It's another of those "only in Japan" comments. Realistically, how many such walls can there be in city run properties? Could it really take three our more years to remove them?

And what about the rest of Japan?

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Wall is constructed to last, not to collap to kill people.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

As sad as this is, it should be no surprise. The vast majority of public schools were built 30-40 years ago and have not been touched since. They’ll replace the blackboards and desks only - as need be. I’ve worked in many different public schools in Chiba and Tokyo and they are all delapodated and dirty. They have never had a coat of paint since their construction. Any maintenance and/or upgrades have been done with funds profits PAT and not by the BOE. They are just fun down education factories I hope somebody goes to jail for this fraud, but I know it will be solved with a brown envelope stacked with cash and a deep bow expressing remorse.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Schools aside there are for sure 100s of thousands of these walls around Japan if not in the millions! Just sayin!

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Indeed.... I was so shocked when I got here at just how many of those crap walls are in Japan. Absolutely a very bad way to build a wall... and in an earthquake and typhoon prone country, sheer lunacy.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

If anyone has been involved in an accident here in Japan, then you will know that Insurers by default place 20% of the blame upon the claimant... it was simply your fault for being there.... this is totally a bollocks way of working and defeats the point of having insurance.

Yep! It takes some real J-style mental gymnastics to even attempt to understand that 'logic'. It's almost best if you don't ever leave the home...

5 ( +5 / -0 )

What I fine amazing is this accident occurred in June this year, but the time limit has expired ( 5 months) why such a short time? surly when a death has happened it should be longer than that. How do you collate all of the data for your case, and file it for prosecution in this short window of opportunity? is that why is so short?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Poor girl RIP! Money cannot pay the pains of her parents and friends!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They’ll get the equivalent of one month of what the girl would have made as an adult, max, after a judge finds the city not guilty, but recognizes some compensation is in order all the same.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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