Departures of note

Akihiro Nabae was a Japanese municipal official who served as deputy mayor of Saijo City in Ehime Prefecture. Before taking that post he headed the city's environment department and its agriculture, forestry and fisheries department, retiring from the city administration in June 2026 before being appointed deputy mayor on 1 July 2026.

Nabae died on 17 October 2026 at the age of 62, after being crushed by a taiko-dai (drum platform) while taking part in the Saijo Festival as a kakifu, one of the carriers who hoist the platforms overhead. The festival, which dates from the Edo period, is a traditional autumn celebration giving thanks for a bountiful harvest, and its kakikurabe contest of raising eleven drum platforms was under way at the time of the accident.