Foreign Tourist Hit by Train While Taking Photos

Aug 15, 2025 | News On Japan

SAGA, Aug 15, 2025 (News On Japan) - A foreign woman was fatally struck by a train near a shrine in Arita, Saga Prefecture, on August 13th, in what police believe may have been an accident while she was attempting to photograph the train.

According to police and fire department reports, the incident occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. at a level crossing in Otaru, Arita, on the JR Sasebo Line. The 55-year-old woman was hit by a local train and taken to hospital, but she died about an hour and a half later.

The crossing, which has no gates, leads to Suyama Shrine, a tourist spot built to pray for the prosperity of Arita porcelain. Witnesses told shrine officials they saw the woman approach the crossing with a camera after visiting the shrine. The alarm system was operating at the time of the accident.

Train services on part of the JR Sasebo Line were suspended for about two and a half hours, and delays were reported on the Kagoshima Line and other routes.

Source: KBC

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