According to the Kyodo news agency, the popular Japanese school activity kumitaiso, gymnastic displays of human pyramids, is being put in check in order to reduce serious injuries. Education Minister Hiroshi Hase, a former professional wrestler, told reporters that new safety rules would be put in place by March. You know things are out of hand when a ex pro-wrestler is the careful one.
“It involves the lives of children, and some of the casualties reported have led to serious injuries,” Hase said of stacking students in formations that can be several stories high. The Japan Sports Council reported 8,000 cases per year since 2011, all which included significant insurance claims.
Authorities are still drafting these rules and specifics have not been released, but similar local measures were taken in September 2015 in Osaka after a 10-story pyramid collapsed. In response, the school board limited human pyramids to five tiers.
Even at five tiers, safety still seems like a tall order here.
[BBC]Original by Lauren Vinopal @LaurenVino
