A five-year-old boy died after his arm became trapped in a belt-conveyor escalator at Asari Ski Resort in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan.
Hinata Goto was riding the escalator with his mother when he fell near the escalator exit around 10 a.m. on December 28, 2025. His right arm became caught in the belt winding mechanism at the top of the conveyor.
The boy’s mother pushed an emergency stop button installed at the end point after discovering her son was trapped. She made an emergency call about 10 a.m., and firefighters arrived to begin rescue efforts.
Firefighters dismantled the escalator to free the boy, who remained trapped for 40 minutes. He was unconscious when freed from the mechanism. Goto was pronounced dead at a hospital after being transported from the scene.
The boy, from Sapporo’s Higashi Ward, had come to the ski resort with his family. He wore ski wear and ski boots at the time of the incident.
The outdoor escalator connects the parking lot to the ski slopes at the resort located in the Asarigawa Onsen district. The belt-conveyor type escalator measures 30 meters long and 60 centimeters wide. It has no handrails on either side.
The escalator was installed six years ago. Kensuke Tamagawa, general manager of the ski hill, confirmed that no staff were stationed at the escalator when the boy became caught.
The escalator is equipped with a safety mechanism designed to stop the conveyor automatically. However, the emergency safety mechanism failed to activate when the boy became trapped. The escalator halted only after the mother pushed the emergency stop button.
Tamagawa told The Asahi Shimbun on December 29 that workers check to ensure the safety mechanism is working properly every morning. The mechanism had worked during a routine inspection earlier on the day of the incident.
“Many children use the resort to practise skiing,” a man who works near the popular resort said. “I hope there will be a proper investigation and measures to ensure something like this never happens again.”
A man in his 70s who visits the resort regularly described the escalator’s operation. The conveyer belt shakes, and he had also stumbled while travelling on it. He told The Japan Times the travelator is “scary.”
Police in Hokkaido are investigating the incident. The investigation could result in possible negligence charges related to professional negligence resulting in death. Resort officials apologized for the accident following the tragedy.
Asari Ski Resort is located about 7 kilometers southwest of JR Otaru Station, approximately one hour’s drive from central Sapporo.
The incident has raised questions about the design and safety features of belt-conveyor escalators at ski resorts. The lack of handrails has drawn particular scrutiny. The failure of the automatic safety mechanism despite passing a morning inspection has become a central focus of the investigation.
Otaru is located in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island and a popular destination for winter sports. The region attracts domestic and international visitors during the ski season due to its heavy snowfall and numerous ski facilities.