News On Japan

Kyoto Road Sinks After Aging Water Pipe Bursts

KYOTO, May 01 (News On Japan) - A burst water pipe beneath National Route 1 in central Kyoto early on April 30th caused a road collapse that flooded surrounding streets and vehicles, triggering widespread disruption.

The incident occurred at the intersection of Gojo and Takakura streets along National Route 1, a major thoroughfare with high traffic volume. Large volumes of water erupted from beneath the asphalt, inundating the surrounding area and causing significant infrastructure damage.

Residents in the area described the scene as resembling a river, with one individual noting their car had been half-submerged and likely totaled. Surveillance footage captured the rapid spread of water, showing the road being overtaken within a minute. Multiple bulges formed in the asphalt before it gave way, forming a hole approximately two meters wide and 1.5 meters deep.

Local resident Kiu Himuro, who reported the flooding, said some smaller vehicles bounced over the distorted pavement unaware of the underlying danger. He referenced a previous case where a truck had fallen into a similar road collapse, prompting him to contact the police immediately out of concern for safety.

The flooding reached underground spaces, including a nearby parking garage where vehicles and a washing machine were fully submerged. Firefighters responded to the scene before 5 a.m., confirming the water main had ruptured. Authorities imposed traffic restrictions around 4:30 a.m., which led to major congestion throughout the area.

According to the Kyoto City Waterworks Bureau, the pipe in question had been installed approximately 65 years ago and was already slated for removal as part of ongoing replacement work. Officials stated that while a new pipe had been installed nearby, the damaged one had not yet been taken out. They also noted that leak inspections are conducted annually, with the last check in this area performed in January.

The topography of the area contributed to the extent of the flooding, as water flowed southward down the slight slope of Takakura Street, reaching homes as far as 60 meters away. One household suffered extensive water damage in its underground garage due to the sheer volume of runoff.

By the afternoon, water flow had been stopped and the damaged pipe excavated, but traffic remained heavily impacted with westbound lanes fully closed and eastbound traffic redirected into a single lane. At a 4 p.m. press conference, officials confirmed continued restoration work and warned of the possibility of discolored tap water.

The incident is the latest in a series of infrastructure failures across Japan linked to aging water systems. In recent years, similar cases in Wakayama and Saitama have resulted in mass water outages and road collapses, underscoring the broader national challenge of maintaining and upgrading aging utilities.

Source: YOMIURI

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No 22, named Halong, has stalled south of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands and may soon change its course, with weather authorities urging the public to stay alert for new updates.

Sanae Takaichi, elected as the Liberal Democratic Party’s new president on October 4th, declared on stage, “I ask everybody to work like a horse,” after defeating agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi in a runoff to become the party’s first female leader.

A string of so-called “honey trap” cases is drawing attention across Japan as schemes once limited to extortion have become increasingly violent, involving physical assaults and life-threatening intimidation.

Police have revealed that a woman killed by her former partner in Higashi-Osaka had sustained dozens of stab wounds across her body, including injuries that pierced internal organs.

Vast hillsides have been cleared for the construction of a large-scale solar power facility in Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, leaving piles of felled trees scattered across the slopes. The development covers approximately 146 hectares, or the size of 32 Tokyo Domes, and involves cutting down about 365,000 trees to make way for 470,000 solar panels.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

Richard Keita Kusama, a 29-year-old member of the idol group Aぇ! Group under STARTO Entertainment, was arrested by Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of public indecency.

A mobile battery caught fire inside a train on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line on October 4th, injuring two women and disrupting operations on both northbound and southbound tracks.

A man in his twenties who was abducted in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in June and later killed has been confirmed dead after his remains were found as bones in the mountains of Kochi Prefecture.

Police have revealed that a woman killed by her former partner in Higashi-Osaka had sustained dozens of stab wounds across her body, including injuries that pierced internal organs.

Right now in big cities in Japan, there are more and more protests by Japanese people against the government's immigration policies. (Japanese Comedian Meshida)

Princess Aiko, the daughter of the Emperor and Empress, has tested positive for Covid-19, the Imperial Household Agency announced on October 2nd, cancelling her scheduled trip to Shiga Prefecture on October 5th and 6th to observe the National Sports Festival.

A man in his 60s was found bleeding and collapsed inside a cattle barn in Tsugaru, Aomori Prefecture on the morning of October 2nd, later dying after his condition suddenly worsened.

A two-story wooden house collapsed in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward on the night of September 30th, with experts suggesting that the ground beneath the property, rather than the building itself, gave way, likely due to a cracked retaining wall.