9,866 Road Collapses Reported Nationwide in Fiscal 2024; 20% Decline from Year Before

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:01 JST, November 8, 2025

A total of 9,866 road collapses were reported across the country in fiscal 2024, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.

The figure marks a decline of about 20% from 12,209 in the previous fiscal year.

About 20% of the collapses were caused by damage to underground structures, such as water and sewer pipes, the ministry said on Friday. In response to the findings, the ministry is set to urge local governments to conduct thorough examinations of such structures.

Of all the road collapses, 72 cases were found on national highways managed by the central government, while 1,169 cases, or about 12%, were found on prefectural roads, including national highways managed by local governments. Meanwhile, 8,625 cases, or about 87%, occurred on municipal roads.

Most of the collapses — 3,583 cases, or 36% — were caused by the roads’ drainage systems, which include ditches. A total of 1,841 cases, or 19%, were caused by objects and structures set up around the roads, most of which were underground structures, including water and sewer pipes, gas pipes and communication cables. Of these, 1,331 cases were caused by sewer pipes.

In urban areas, a high proportion of road collapses are caused by damage to sewer pipes, reaching 48% in Tokyo’s 23 wards and 22% in ordinance-designated cities.

Following a road collapse that occurred in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, in January, the ministry has been examining large sewer pipes installed 30 years ago or more.

“Underground structures, including sewer pipes, are expected to further deteriorate,” said a ministry official. “We’d like individual local governments to thoroughly check such structures.”