Mourners mark 38th anniversary of Japan's deadliest air disaster

Mourners have gathered to remember the victims of Japan's deadliest ever plane crash. Thirty-eight years ago to the day on Saturday, 520 passengers and crews were killed when a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crashed into a mountain ridge in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

On Friday, relatives of the victims and others floated memorial lanterns down a river near the crash site in Ueno Village.

The mourners wrote messages to the victims on the lanterns and prayed for transportation safety.

Miyajima Kuniko lost her second son, Ken, who was 9 years old at the time. She said she hoped her son was watching the floating lantern. She said so much time has passed that mourners now include grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the victims. But she said she wants to continue offering prayers for safe travel.

520人が犠牲になった日航ジャンボ機の墜落事故から12日で38年

墜落現場の群馬県上野村では11日、遺族などが灯籠流しを行い、犠牲者を悼みましたhttps://t.co/q2nkGjS9VZ#nhk_video pic.twitter.com/nyfoGHGZaF

— NHKニュース (@nhk_news) August 12, 2023

On Saturday, the relatives and others will head to the crash site on Osutaka Ridge. For the first time in four years, they will attend a memorial service to be held in the evening at the foot of the mountain.