Twenty-five years after a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crashed into the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, the world's worst single-aircraft accident continues to keep the airline focused on safety as it struggles with reconstruction, and the relatives of those who died alert to see that JAL lives up to its commitment.
While hundreds of people every year climb Osutaka Ridge to the site of the Aug. 12, 1985, crash to attend a memorial, JAL's Safety Promotion Center has become a perennial reminder of the tragedy.
Located near Tokyo's Haneda airport, the center displays debris from the plane, including the damaged rear pressure bulkhead, which was identified by the aircraft investigation commission as the probable cause of the crash. The plane was flying from Tokyo to Osaka when it went down.