HOKKAIDO (TR) – A 66-year-old Australian tourist has filed a 400-million-yen lawsuit against the Hakodate City after a devastating fall from a local bridge last year left him with severe spinal cord injuries, reports STV News (Oct. 1).
The lawsuit, filed at the Hakodate District Court on Thursday, alleges that the city’s safety management was dangerously inadequate.
According to the complaint, the man was walking across the Shichizai Bridge in the city’s Toyokawacho district on May 27, 2025, when he accidentally tumbled over the edge. He plummeted approximately three meters headfirst, crashing onto a stone quay below.
The plaintiff claims that the bridge’s parapet at the site of the fall was exceptionally low, measuring only about 56 centimeters in height. The lawsuit argues that the city failed to implement basic safety measures and should have installed protective fencing to prevent such accidents.
As a result of the tragic plunge, the man suffered severe spinal cord damage. He is now entirely bedridden and requires around-the-clock assistance for all daily activities. The 400 million yen in demanded compensation is intended to cover a portion of his extensive lifelong care costs.
When approached for a statement, a representative for the city declined to speak on the allegations. “We have not yet received the formal complaint, so we cannot comment,” the official said.
