Families and friends commemorated on Saturday the 38th anniversary of the Japan Airlines jet crash that killed 520 passengers and crew in the world's deadliest single-aircraft accident.
Braving the heat, mourners climbed the mountain trail to the Boeing 747 crash site on Osutaka Ridge in Gunma Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, where they paid their respects at a monument and grave markers for their lost loved ones.
Kuniko Miyajima, who leads an association of the victims' kin, said, "We all share a desire for safety and peace." The 76-year-old, who lost her 9-year-old son Ken in the 1985 crash, said she hopes to pass on the lessons learned from the tragedy to the next generation.
Yuji Akasaka, president of Japan Airlines Co., also laid flowers and offered his prayers at the monument. According to Japan Airlines, 272 people from 76 families joined the hike, almost double last year's numbers.
Also among the hikers was Kyoko Fukuda, 84, who lost her 56-year-old husband Takeshi. It was her first hike since 2019 as she had refrained from climbing the trail during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At her late husband's grave marker, she talked about the birth of a great-grandchild and said, "As always, I am doing just fine."
An evening memorial ceremony was later held at the foot of the mountain ridge in the village of Ueno. Candles numbering the same as the 520 lives lost were lit, and a moment of silence was offered at 6:56 p.m., the exact time the crash occurred.
Tears were shed as photos and flowers were placed in front of a memorial bearing the victims' names.
With coronavirus pandemic measures that had restricted the number of attendees in 2020 now lifted, relatives of the victims were able to take part for the first time in four years.
"I am thankful that I am able to attend for the first time in several years. I do not want it to be forgotten," said Masae Takishita, a 54-year-old resident of Canada whose 11-year-old brother died in the accident.
The village's mayor, Hachiro Kurosawa, echoed her sentiment in a speech he gave at the ceremony, noting the importance of "continuing to pass on the memories."
On Aug. 12, 1985, a packed JAL flight 123 en route from Tokyo to Osaka crashed around 40 minutes after take-off, leaving only four survivors among the 524 people on board.
Kyu Sakamoto, a 43-year-old singer known for his hit song "Sukiyaki," was among the dead.
Many were traveling to their hometowns during Japan's Bon summer holiday season.
In 1987, a Japanese government investigation commission concluded that the accident was caused by improper repairs by Boeing Co. on the plane's rear pressure bulkhead, whose rupture blew off the craft's vertical stabilizer and destroyed its hydraulic systems.
© KYODO
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englisc aspyrgend
My wife loves his rendition of that song.
Undoubtedly a sad tragedy and still painful for those who lost loved ones and they wish to honour the dead but not sure there is a need as the Mayor said:-
Memorialise them and the tragedy by all means but with the passage of time the relevance will fade. No need to burden future generations who never knew them.
Bill Lewis
Must be a slow news day for this to be the Top Story. An event almost 40 years ago.
餓死鬼
It still hurts for the families and friends of the victims.
Spitfire
How many could have been saved if the first on the scene US helicopter had been allowed to render assistance?
Japanese pride taking precedence over common sense yet again.
Japan is a paradox
One word; pride.
Mark
May all these souls RIP.
CigarCowboy
The engineers from Boeing never went to prison for this.
Very sad and shouldn’t of happened.
What makes this more tragic is the fact that the Japanese government refused to allow the U.S Military to aid in rescue operations. Many of these poor souls died as a result of that response.
TokyoLiving
NO, must be that Japan is one of the safest countries to live in the world for this to be the Top Story. An event almost 40 years ago.
餓死鬼
Since the accident was caused by human error, hopefully the lessons learned will not be forgotten.
JJE
The rescue operation was bungled.
Yokota monitored and communicated with JAL 123 as it weaved in and out of controlled air space. Located by overflight within 20 mins, twin hueys dispatched were told to stand down by Tokyo.
Most survivors died that night.
The then unborn daughter of a British woman whose father was on that plane has a compelling story to tell. She is a musician now (with much regard to the grandmother who never forgot).
hooktrunk2
@Bill Lewis
Tacky comment Bill. You are safer flying today because people DON'T forget this accident. RIP.
Japan is a paradox
lol Well, you must have a very wide umbrella to cover aeroplane crashes under general 'safety'.
Japan is not ranked very highly for airline safety: The safest go to neighbours NZ and Australia.
Neither have ever had a crash (except a charted flight in the 70's in NZ).
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The last fatal accident for JAL was this one in 1985.
The last Hull loss for ANA was 1972.
Japanese airlines are incredibly safe and were the leaders in cabin sanitation procedures during Covid.