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9 Comments

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  medievaltimes at 08:02 AM JST - 26th July

  The accident could have been avoided if:

  -They stopped punishing drivers by re writing manuals, writing letters of apology to the boss, and pulling weeds at stations.

  -They put safety before being on time.

  -They installed an automatic train stop sytem.

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  jeancolmar at 10:31 AM JST - 26th July

  The accident could have been avoided if the driver had not been stressed out because of bullying by the JR management.

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  sensei258 at 11:10 AM JST - 26th July

  They waited three years to question this man? How about doing it right after the accident.

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  Pump24 at 11:51 AM JST - 26th July

  Normally I'd forget things over a weekend. But such a fatal event, I'd probably recall the details forever. Still, 3 years is a bit long.

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  pointofview at 04:38 PM JST - 26th July

  I always ask the JR staff why they dont add more cars so everyone can sit down. On the way to work in the morning there are more people standing than sitting. How does this improve safety? Safety has nothing to do with it. Its about making a profit. Thats all. Youd think after this tragedy that JR would have made changes. But then again nobody will protest this nonsense and they will still get away with it.

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  isthistheend at 05:32 PM JST - 26th July

  Count the number of trains in Tokyo, a city of 11 M or so. There are at least 16 train lines. I don't know which is the worst, but the ones in the hub of the city are making a killing by treating all of us who MUST ride them (option?) like cattle or worse. Then there's the manners of the people inside the traiins. It seems like everyone is in cohoots with the situation. Since I'm treated like so-much ham, forget about concern for anyone else.

  I've often thought, well O.K. if they're not going to make more trains to ride, there should be a weight limit on each train, like for elevators for example. If the weight exceeds about 90% of present day conditions, a buzzer sounds, and people by the doors have to back off until the nextt one. But of course, I'm just dreaming. All we'll see from the management of this cash-cow is more of the same. And they do nothing to ensure the safety of its own (female) workers who receive the treatment everyone is well aware of. Only in Japan?

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  NavyPilot06 at 01:56 PM JST - 27th July

  Three years ago, and now its this guys fault. I think they're just trying to get a scape goat for this accident and now this guy is it

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  westurn at 04:26 PM JST - 27th July

  I said it at the time... this was no accident. And the 107 people aboard who lost their lives did so at the hands of a corrupt and mismanaged institution JR West ! It was their consistent policies of harrasment and ijime that led the driver to just throw in the towel and go for broke, subsequently killing more than a hundred when he could not navigate a turn. This was a spontaneous suicide and a clear case of manslaughter ! And now, three years later the police want to ask questions... welcome to the bizarre world of Japanese justice !

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  buddha4brains at 07:50 AM JST - 28th July

  This is certainly not the first time for the police to talk to Yamazaki. But since he is the president of JR West and was not actually involved with the day-to-day operations of that line or the direct boss of that driver it would take time to build a case against him. When you consider all the technical aspects that have to investigated (Could the ATS system have prevented this accident had it been installed?) along with the expected institutional resistance (who is going to openly rat out their boss?) I am surprised that the investigation even got this far.

  Is Yamazaki being scapegoated? Well if the problem stems from a lack of diligence on safety and a culture of iijime, then who is guilty? The president of JR West, or any company for that matter, is immune because they are only figureheads who reap the benefits of being company head without the responsibilities?

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