Japan seeks safer rail crossing warnings for foreign visitors
A safety probe into the death of a Taiwanese visitor in Saga has prompted calls for fences, clearer signs and multilingual alerts at crossings near tourist sites.
- The call for safer warnings was prompted by the death of a Taiwanese tourist who was struck by a train at a crossing equipped with alarms but no barriers.
- A transport ministry affiliate has proposed introducing multi-language warnings and pictograms to better alert foreign visitors of the danger.
- The specific crossing, located near a popular tourist shrine, was recommended for abolition or an upgrade to include physical barriers and fences.
- The initiative addresses a rise in incidents involving foreigners at rail crossings, which coincides with a sharp increase in tourism to Japan.
A Japanese transport ministry affiliate on Thursday (April 23) proposed the introduction of multi-language warnings and pictograms, after a foreign tourist was hit and killed by a train last August.
According to a report on the accident released by the Japan Transport Safety Board the same day, a two-car train of Kyushu Railway Co., or JR Kyushu, hit the tourist, a 55-year-old woman from Taiwan, while travelling between Kamiarita and Arita stations on the Sasebo line in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Saga on the afternoon of Aug. 13, 2025.
The accident occurred at a Class 3 railroad crossing, which is equipped with alarms but not barriers, and is located near Sueyama Shrine, a popular tourist spot.
The train was running at a speed of about 50 kilometres per hour. The driver noticed the woman some 86 meters before the crossing and applied the emergency brake, but the train could not avoid hitting her.
The woman, who was visiting Japan with acquaintances, heard an alarm from the crossing warning of the train's approach but stood holding her smartphone beside the tracks, with her back against the train, apparently to take a selfie. She did not respond to the train's horn.
The crossing is located between an approach to the shrine and stairs, and white lines and other safety notices were faded due to ageing.
The JTSB said the crossing should be abolished for safety or replaced with a Class 1 crossing, which has both alarms and barriers. Until the abolition, safety measures should be taken, such as installing fences as well as signboards using multiple languages and pictograms, the report concluded.
In line with a recent sharp increase in visitors to Japan, there have been many problems involving foreigners, such as stepping onto railroad crossings and tracks, although alarms are sounding, according to the transport ministry.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
