Buried Timebombs: Saitama Sinkhole Draws Attention to Japan’s Aging Wastewater Infrastructure

The gaping sinkhole at the intersection in Yashio, Saitama, as seen on February 4, 2025. (© Jiji)

Pipe Corrosion and Surface Collapses

Workers at the site of the initial collapse on January 28, 2025. The sinkhole initially measured 10 meters in diameter but soon grew to 40 meters. (© Jiji)

Collapses Due to Damaged Sewage Pipes

Japan’s Aging Sewerage Network

Saitama governor Ōno Motohiro (center) heads a meeting of a panel studying the cause of the sinkhole in Yashio in the prefectural capital Saitama on January 31, 2025. (© Jiji)

Sewage pipeline construction. (© Pixta)