General News

Giant Pipe Rising out of Ground in Osaka Cut Off, Cause Still Under Investigation

Courtesy of the Osaka city government
Work to cut a steel pipe that protruded from the ground is seen underway in Kita Ward, Osaka City, on Tuesday.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:04 JST, March 25, 2026

OSAKA — The Osaka city government on Tuesday cut off the 1.6-meter section of a giant steel pipe that had protruded from the ground in Kita Ward, Osaka City, and sealed the hole with a steel plate.

Work to bury the 27-meter-long steel pipe, which is 3.6 meters in diameter, had been underway since Jan. 21. However, the pipe was confirmed to have risen to the surface on March 11. As the pipe protruded as high as 13 meters out of the ground, the city government weighed it down by filling it with water.

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The burial of the pipe is part of a project to install a new sewer pipe about 30 meters underground and connect it to the existing sewer system as a measure against flooding during heavy rains. The city plans to continue the work using this pipe.

The city government intends to soon set up a task force to investigate the cause of the protrusion and develop measures to prevent a recurrence.

“It is important to not allow this to happen again,” Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama told reporters. “We want to conduct a thorough investigation.”