Police Probe Tokyo Sauna Operator over Tragic Deaths 1 Week Ago

Tokyo, Dec. 21 (Jiji Press)–One week after two customers died in a fire in a private room at a luxury sauna facility in Tokyo’s Akasaka district, police are investigating the facility’s operator for possible professional negligence resulting in death. According to investigative sources, the Metropolitan Police Department has so far found evidence suggesting that the two customers tried desperately to escape the sauna unit in the private room as the sauna’s door was broken and the emergency system did not work. The fire occurred around noon on Dec. 15, and the victims–Masanari Matsuda, a 36-year-old beauty salon owner, and his wife, Yoko, a 37-year-old nail technician–were found lying near the door inside the sauna. They were rushed to hospital but pronounced dead. The L-shaped handle of the door was detached and found on the floor, leaving the door unable to open. Scratches were found on the glass door, and Matsuda’s hand showed signs of internal bleeding apparently from hitting the door. The emergency button in the sauna unit was damaged, likely from being pressed repeatedly and forcefully. The emergency alarm receiver was installed in the facility’s office on the first floor, but it was left unactivated. During the police investigation, the owner of the facility reportedly admitted to never having turned on the emergency system since taking over the facility two years ago. Regarding the burned towel left in the sauna, the police department believes that the victims either wrapped a sauna stone with the towel in an attempt to hit and break the glass door with it or deliberately started a fire to activate the smoke sensor. There were also signs that the victims used a floor platform to fend off the hot air. The facility, called SaunaTiger, is advertised as an “adult hideaway” with monthly membership fees of up to 390,000 yen. Non-member fees start from 19,000 yen for two hours. As for sauna doors, a source in the industry pointed out that it is common to install doors that easily open by pushing. “It’s outrageous to leave the emergency button unavailable, and regular checkups are necessary in high-temperature and humid conditions,” the source argued. According to a local public health center, the sauna facility obtained a business permit under the hotel business law in July 2022. The public health center has inspected the facility on the site several times, but door handles and emergency buttons were not subject to the inspections. “We understand there were shortcomings (in the inspections),” said an official of the public health center. “We must consider them.” The Tokyo police department plans to investigate the facility’s emergency procedures and equipment checkup system in detail, including by questioning its owner and employees. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]