By Minh Nga  December 29, 2025 | 08:17 pm PT
Tourists use the conveyor belt at Asari Ski Resort. Photo by Facebook/Asari Ski Resort
A five-year-old boy has died following a tragic accident at the Asari Ski Resort in Otaru City of Hokkaido Prefecture in northern Japan.
Hinata Goto was vacationing with his family on Dec. 28 when his right arm became trapped in a conveyor-style travelator, as reported by Asahi Shimbun.
The accident occurred at approximately 10 a.m. as Hinata and his mother were traveling from the parking lot to the ski area. As he attempted to step off the 30-meter-long belt, the boy fell, and his arm was pulled into the machinery.
Despite being freed by emergency responders 40 minutes later, he remained unconscious and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Resort officials told Kyodo News that the walkway’s automatic emergency stop system failed to activate when the child became stuck. His mother was forced to manually press the stop button.
Management claimed the safety mechanism, designed to detect foreign objects, had passed a routine inspection earlier that morning.
The conveyor, installed six years ago, lacks handrails.
While regular visitors praised its convenience for avoiding stairs, others flagged long-standing dangers.
A frequent visitor in his 70s told Japan Today that the belt’s shifting gradients make it unstable, noting that he had personally stumbled there and considered the equipment hazardous.
Hokkaido police are investigating the incident. While the resort remains operational, the walkway has been closed indefinitely.
A spokesperson apologized for the tragedy, pledging a full investigation and new safety measures.
AloJapan.com