Amusement park mascot died after dancing in costume during a heatwave
foto: Hirakata Park has cancelled all mascot costume events scheduled for the summer in response to the tragedy ( Takosaka / Flickr )
A man has died after dancing in an amusement park’s mascot costume during a heatwave.
Yohei Yamaguchi died from heatstroke on Sunday in Osaka, Japan.
He donned the outfit for his job as a part-time worker at Hirakata Park, according to The Japan Times.
A colleague called the emergency services at around 8pm but Mr Yamaguchi later died.
Hirakata Park has cancelled all mascot costume events scheduled for the summer in response to the tragedy.
A spokesperson said the park would investigate the cause of the 28-year-old’s death and implement preventative measures.
A further 5,664 people were hospitalised, with 119 exhibiting severe symptoms of heatstroke, according to Japan’s government.
Temperatures in the country have rocketed since the rainy season ended earlier this month.
On Monday the highest temperature in Japan was recorded in the town of Ibigawa, which saw highs of 37.2C.