Signboard Collapses on Visitors from Taiwan at Farm in Japan’s Tochigi Pref.; Strong Wind Advisory in Effect Near Site

The Yomiuri Shimbun
A collapsed signboard is seen at a tourist farm in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday.

NASU, Tochigi — A large signboard at a tourist farm fell on three visitors from Taiwan in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, on Thursday, local police said. The victims were taken to a hospital but are not in life-threatening condition.

An employee at the farm made an emergency call at around 11:55 a.m., reporting that a sign had collapsed and three tourists were trapped underneath, according to the police.

The victims are in their 60s and 70s were visiting to pick strawberries. The fallen sign measured approximately 2.7 meters tall and 4 meters wide and toppled from its base.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, maximum instantaneous wind speeds of 27.4 meters per second were recorded near the site at the time, and a strong wind advisory was in effect.