One week after a couple died in a fire at a luxury sauna facility in Tokyo's Akasaka district, police are investigating the operator for possible professional negligence resulting in death. The victims desperately tried to escape but were trapped because the door was broken and the emergency system failed. The facility owner admitted to never activating the emergency system in the two years since taking over.
On December 15, 2025, around noon, a fire broke out in a private sauna room at the luxury SaunaTiger facility in Tokyo's Akasaka district, killing a husband and wife. The victims were Masanari Matsuda, a 36-year-old beauty salon owner, and his wife Yoko Matsuda, a 37-year-old nail technician. They were found collapsed near the door inside the sauna and were pronounced dead at the hospital.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department investigation, the L-shaped door handle had detached, preventing the door from opening. Scratches were on the glass door, and Matsuda's hand showed signs of internal bleeding from striking it. The emergency button inside the sauna was damaged, likely from repeated forceful pressing. The emergency alarm receiver was in the first-floor office but remained unactivated. The facility owner reportedly admitted to never turning on the emergency system since taking over two years ago.
A burned towel found in the sauna suggests the victims may have wrapped a sauna stone in it to break the glass door or started a fire to trigger the smoke sensor. There were also signs they used a floor platform to block hot air.
Advertised as an 'adult hideaway,' SaunaTiger charges up to ¥390,000 for monthly memberships and ¥19,000 for two hours for non-members. An industry source noted, 'It's common for sauna doors to open easily by pushing. Leaving the emergency button unavailable is outrageous, and regular checkups are necessary in high-temperature, humid conditions.'
The local public health center issued a business permit under the hotel business law in July 2022 and conducted several on-site inspections, but door handles and emergency buttons were not covered. An official stated, 'We understand there were shortcomings [in the inspections]. We must consider them.'
