The Tokyo High Court on Friday upheld prison sentences for two executives involved in a fatal 2016 ski bus crash in Karuizawa [1], [5].
The ruling marks a critical legal milestone for the families of the victims, as the court rejected the defendants' claims of innocence regarding professional negligence resulting in death and injury.
Misaku Takahashi, 64, the president of the bus company ESP, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment [1], [3]. Tsuyoshi Arai, 57, the company's operations manager, received a sentence of four years [1], [4]. The court determined that the negligence of the two men was the direct cause of the accident [1].
The crash occurred in 2016 in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture [1], [2]. The disaster resulted in 15 deaths, including 13 university students and two drivers [1].
Following the verdict on May 22, 2026 [5], family members of the victims expressed their frustration with the legal process. The defendants had appealed the initial ruling and continued to deny the charges.
"That the two appealed and do not acknowledge their crimes is something we as bereaved families cannot forgive," said Yoshihiko Otani, a family member of a victim [1].
Otani said that the continued denial of guilt is extremely unpleasant and that the situation is unbearable for the families. He said that he hopes the defendants will not file a further appeal to the Supreme Court [1].
“The court determined that the negligence of the two men was the direct cause of the accident.”
This ruling reinforces the legal accountability of corporate executives and operations managers in Japan's transport sector. By upholding the sentences despite the defendants' claims of innocence, the court has affirmed that systemic negligence in company management can lead to direct criminal liability for high-ranking officials, rather than placing the blame solely on the driver.
