9年前の痛ましい事故の犠牲者を供養 Memorial service for victims of a tragic accident nine years ago

緊急時代宣言前の4月13日、用事があり京都を訪ね、四条通を東山に向かい歩いていた。
ちょうど大和大路通四条交差点に差し掛かったとき、掲示用鉄柱に花が飾られ、それに水をそそぐ男性がいた。

一瞬、なんで? ここに花が、と思った。
もしかすると9年前に起きた悲惨な交通事故の犠牲者に手向ける花なのか、と。
咄嗟に水を注いでいた方に尋ねた。
「9年前の昨日に起こった事故で亡くなった方々への供養と思い」と仰っていた。
毎年、4月12日に花を手向け手を合わせているという。

On April 13, before the declaration of an emergency, I visited Kyoto for business and was walking along Shijo-dori toward Higashiyama. There was a man pouring water on a flower on a bulletin board at the corner of the Shijo intersection on Yamatooji-dori.

For a moment, why? I thought there was a flower here. Maybe it is a flower for the victims of a tragic car accident that happened nine years ago. I asked the man who was pouring water immediately.
He said "I think it is a memorial service for people who died in the accident that happened yesterday nine years ago."
It is said that every year on April 12th, he offers flowers.

全国各地で交通事故は頻繁に起こっている。とくに暴走で多くの犠牲者をだす事故も多発。京都のこの事故も信号無視の軽乗用車が横断歩道を渡っていた歩行者を次々とはねた。車は衝突を繰り返しながら、北約２００メートル先の電柱に衝突して停止。歩行者の男性２人、女性５人の計７人が死亡する痛ましい悲惨な事故だった。

忘れたい事故ではあるが、忘れてはいけない出来事である。それぞれが記憶のどこかに留め自制行動しなければ、と改めて思う。

Traffic accidents occur frequently all over the country. In particular, there are many accidents that cause many casualties due to runaway.
In this accident in Kyoto, light passenger cars ignoring traffic lights hit pedestrians crossing the pedestrian crossing one after another. The car repeatedly collided and stopped after colliding with a utility pole about 200 meters north. It was a tragic and tragic accident that killed a total of seven people, two pedestrians and five women.

It is an accident that we want to forget, but it is an event that you should not forget. l left the place thinking that we should stay somewhere in their memory and act restraint.

レポート & 写真 / 渡邉雄二   Reported & Photos by Yuji Watanabe