The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD) announced on 21/12 that it has opened an investigation into the deaths of Masanari Matsuda, 36, and his wife Yoko, 37, at the SaunaTiger facility in Akasaka district, Tokyo, Japan.
The couple was using a private sauna room at the facility on 15/12 when a fire broke out on the third floor of the building. Firefighters found the couple's bodies behind a closed door upon arrival.
Investigators found the L-shaped door handle broken and detached on the floor, making it impossible to open the door from the inside. The glass door showed scratch marks, and Masanari's hand had bruises, likely from his unsuccessful attempts to break the door.
The emergency button inside the room was damaged, possibly from being repeatedly pressed and hit forcefully. Police determined the victims also tried to use a floorboard to block the hot air flow and wrapped a towel around a sauna stone to smash the glass door. The Matsuda couple's deaths were attributed to extreme hyperthermia or asphyxiation, resulting from their prolonged entrapment in the room.
Police investigate the scene at the SaunaTiger facility in Tokyo. *Jiji Press* |
The emergency alarm receiver, located in the facility's first-floor office, was not activated. The owner of SaunaTiger admitted that he had never turned on the system since taking over the facility two years ago.
SaunaTiger advertises itself as an "adult hideaway", with monthly passes costing up to 390,000 yen (approximately 2,500 USD). Non-members pay 19,000 yen for two hours of service.
The facility received its business license in 2022 and underwent several safety inspections. However, door handles and emergency alarm systems were not part of the inspection scope.
"There were shortcomings in the inspections. We will have to review them," a local public health official stated.
Duc Trung (According to Jiji Press, Kyodo, Mainichi)
