Sega workers busted in Joypolis accident

TOKYO--According to a Kyodo News Service report, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have filed court documents with local prosecutors charging three workers of Sega's Joypolis amusement park with professional negligence. The papers were filed last Friday and were the result of an ongoing investigation into the death of Junichi Tsubouchi, 30, who fell 7 meters from a skydiving simulation ride at the Sega Joypolis park on April 18, 2005.

Both the director and manager of Sega Joypolis, both 33, and a 30-year-old part-time worker have been charged. The part-time worker is suspected of failing to stop Tsubouchi, who was physically handicapped and confined to a wheelchair, from boarding the ride. The official Sega manual for the skydiving simulator, known as "Viva! Skydiving" prohibits anyone who needs assistance walking from riding the simulator.

The worker had contacted the manager of Sega Joypolis to ask if Tsubouchi could ride the simulator. He subsequently received approval. Reportedly, the Joypolis staffer also failed to properly secure Tsubouchi with a seat belt, which then resulted in Tsubouchi slipping out of the harness and falling to his death.

The director of Sega Joypolis is suspected of not providing adequate safety instructions to amusement park workers.

All three workers have admitted their negligence.

In a surprising statement to police, the Sega Joypolis manager said that many attendees of the park refused to use the required safety belts for park attractions. "There are hundreds of cases where we operate attractions without safety belts, and I simply gave approval for this case too," the manager told police.

Sega Corporation issued a statement on its Sega Joypolis Web site acknowledging the filing of criminal charges against the three employees, as well as its continued cooperation with authorities in the ongoing investigation.

In the same statement, Sega offered its repeated apology to relatives of the victim.

Tsubouchi's family has remained silent throughout the investigation and has so far declined to make any statement to the press. It is unknown if the family will be pursuing civil litigation against Sega. It is also unknown if Sega will dismiss or suspend (or has already done so) the three employees named in the criminal report filed with prosecutors.

The Sega Joypolis park is located in the Decks complex along Tokyo's Daiba waterfront area. Sega Corporation closed Joypolis for an extensive period to allow for a proper investigation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police authorities. According to Sega, Joypolis has since reopened with stepped-up safety procedures and newly appointed corporate governance overseeing "proper management" of the company's entertainment properties.