Tour de Hokkaido Canceled Following Last Year's Fatal Accident

SAPPORO, Mar 13 (News On Japan) - The Tour de Hokkaido, a road bicycle race that experienced a tragic accident resulting in the death of a participant last year, has officially decided to cancel this year's event.

In September of last year, Kotaro Igarashi, a 21-year-old senior at Chuo University participating in the Tour de Hokkaido, died after colliding with a passenger car in the opposite lane. Since then, discussions on safety measures, including security aspects, have continued within a third-party safety review committee.

Due to the lack of a finalized safety plan, the Tour de Hokkaido Association, which organizes the race, officially decided to cancel this year's event during a board meeting held on March 12.

Regarding future events, the association has stated that they will proceed with specific plans after the results of the ongoing safety review committee are available.

Source: ANN


MORE Sports NEWS

Undisputed world super bantamweight boxing champion Naoya Inoue fought back from an early knockdown to stop Mexico's Luis Nery in the sixth round of their title showdown at Tokyo Dome on Monday. (Kyodo)

Former Major League Baseball slugger Matsui Hideki has demonstrated his batting skills for children in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa, which was severely affected by the New Year's Day earthquake.

The U23 Japan National Soccer Team, having secured a spot in the Paris Olympics, defeated Uzbekistan in the final to claim the U23 Asian Cup title.

POPULAR NEWS

In Osaka's Minami district, known colloquially as "Guri-shita," a high number of youths who congregate in the area have experienced domestic violence and abuse, according to a survey conducted by a supporting non-profit organization (NPO).

A recent study by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has revealed that approximately 4.43 million elderly individuals, or one in eight people over the age of 65, are diagnosed with dementia in Japan.

Mount Koya, a UNESCO World Heritage site enveloped by mountains standing at 1,000 meters, welcomes visitors into its sacred expanse established 1,200 years ago by the monk Kukai. However, this revered site is facing a severe overtourism crisis, with tourists exceeding the local population of 2,600 by 500 times, leading to illegal parking and dining difficulties.

A two-headed snake, a rare curiosity, was discovered in the mountains of Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture.

At the bustling Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, which attracts tourists from around the world daily, a Brazilian tourist captured an unexpected moment in a video he was livestreaming.

FOLLOW US