Victims of 2001 fire in Tokyo’s Kabukicho remembered

Bereaved family members and others remembered victims of a fire in the busy Kabukicho district of Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward that claimed 44 lives 25 years ago.

Those gathered were seen laying flowers Monday night at the site where the fire-hit building used to stand.

“Many things have changed over the past 25 years, but I’m glad I can come here again today,” said Yasuko Ueda, 74. She lost her daughters, Aiko, 26, and Saiko, 22, who were working in the building.

The mother laid flowers and 4,400 paper cranes she made, and prayed for the victims.

“It can’t be helped that many people nowadays don’t know about the fire, but I want people to look back at the time, even for a second,” she said.

The fire occurred before dawn on Sept. 1, 2001. The victims, who were customers and workers of a mahjong parlor on the third floor and a food-and-drink establishment on the fourth floor, died of causes such as carbon monoxide poisoning.