A young married couple have died in a tragic incident after becoming trapped inside a sauna room in Tokyo when a fire broke out, with a faulty door handle preventing their escape.
Investigation Uncovers Critical Safety Failures
Tokyo police are investigating the circumstances that led to the deaths of 37-year-old nail technician Yoko Matsuda and her 36-year-old husband Masanari, who ran a beauty salon. The incident occurred at the Sauna Tiger venue in the city's Akasaka district.
Emergency services were called on Monday at around 12:25pm local time after a smoke detector outside the sauna was triggered. They found the couple collapsed on the floor, with their heads positioned close to the door. Both were rushed to hospital but later succumbed to their injuries.
Investigators discovered the sauna's door handle had detached and was lying on the floor, which would have made it impossible to open the door from inside. Furthermore, a critical safety system had failed: the emergency alarm inside the room had no power. According to Japanese media reports, an employee stated the alarm had "not been turned on" for approximately two years.
Details of the Fatal Incident
Evidence suggests a fire ignited within the third-floor sauna room. A bench and walls were partially charred, and a burnt towel was found at the scene. Police are examining the possibility that the fire started when the towel came into contact with the hot sauna stones.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the precise cause of death for the couple. While Masanari was found with burns across his body and on both shoulders, and Yoko had burns on her right shoulder, neither set of injuries was initially considered life-threatening.
Signs of a desperate struggle for survival were evident. The cover of the emergency alarm button inside the room had been removed, indicating the couple had tried to activate it, but the device was inoperative.
Venue History and Response
According to the Minato Public Health Center, Sauna Tiger first opened in July 2022 and was inspected in April 2023, with "no major deficiencies found in the equipment" at that time. The employee's statement to police, however, suggests the alarm was switched off "since around 2023".
In a statement on its website, Sauna Tiger offered its "deepest condolences" and "heartfelt sympathies" to the families. The company confirmed it is cooperating fully with investigators and is taking the incident "very seriously". The venue will remain "closed for the time being".
Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department continues its investigation into the devastating sequence of failures that led to this preventable tragedy.
