OSAKA - A post-victory ritual of jumping into Osaka’s Dotonbori River resurfaced after the Hanshin Tigers clinched the league title, with 29 people entering the water despite police warnings and repeated appeals from the city to stop.
Some jumpers admitted they were not celebrating Hanshin’s win, saying they leapt because they "felt like" they had to and were "not Hanshin fans." The Osaka Prefectural Police said many ignored on-site instructions and barriers. Mayor Yokoyama called the behavior "truly regrettable" and urged residents and visitors to stop the practice, stressing it is dangerous and must end.
Health experts warn the river poses serious sanitary risks. A technical school that has surveyed water quality around Dotonbori for more than 20 years reported that a recent sampling detected 200 to 5,000 E. coli per 100 milliliters. By comparison, the standard for public pools is effectively zero. Instructors cautioned that jumpers can easily swallow water, leading to stomach illness and other health problems. The city also notes that past incidents have resulted in injuries and fatalities.
The dives have become a recurring problem during major baseball celebrations. When Hanshin won the league two years ago, 26 people reportedly jumped. In 2003, about 53 people entered the river, and when the team won the Japan Series in 1985, revelers even threw a Colonel Sanders statue into the water.
The origins of the custom are murky, but interviews conducted for this report point to a rakugo performer, Katsura Fukuwaka, who says he took the first plunge in 1985. Katsura, a Giants fan at the time, said he did it as a punishment game after losing a bet with friends. Recalling the jump, he described the water as pitch-black, with debris sticking to his face. He now regrets the act and appealed to the public to stop, saying, "It’s dangerous. Don’t do it," and adding that as time passed he felt growing guilt about the trouble it may have caused others.
Local business leaders in the Dotonbori shopping district also urged restraint, emphasizing "tasteful support" for teams and warning against turning celebrations into hazardous stunts. City officials said they will continue public-awareness efforts ahead of future championships to prevent further incidents.
Source: KTV NEWS
