A Tokyo sauna facility is under criminal investigation after a married couple perished in a fire while trapped inside a private room due to a defective doorknob mechanism. The incident occurred Monday at Sauna Tiger in the city’s affluent Akasaka district, revealing multiple systemic safety violations that prevented emergency assistance.
According to metropolitan police reports, the victims—36-year-old beauty salon owner Masanari Matsuda and his 37-year-old nail artist wife Yoko—became trapped when the sauna’s doorknob detached during the fire. Firefighters responding to an automated alarm at 12:25 local time discovered the couple collapsed near the doorway, with a charred towel suggesting ignition from contact with heating stones.
Most alarmingly, investigators confirmed the room’s emergency alert system had been deliberately deactivated since approximately 2023. Evidence indicates the couple attempted to activate the alarm, as the device’s cover was found removed with apparent signs of desperate manipulation. Staff members admitted during questioning that the critical safety feature remained switched off for nearly two years.
The Minato Public Health Center acknowledged conducting its most recent inspection in April 2023, claiming no equipment deficiencies were identified at that time. This tragic incident highlights growing concerns about Japan’s rapidly expanding wellness industry, where private sauna facilities have proliferated without corresponding safety regulations.
Sauna Tiger announced immediate closure pending full investigation and offered refunds to customers with existing reservations. Company management expressed “deepest condolences” to the bereaved family while pledging full cooperation with authorities. The case has ignited urgent calls for mandatory safety protocols in Japan’s largely self-regulated wellness industry.