Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

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This is the moment a man jumping off a bridge in front of a crowd gets a nasty surprise when a boat appears below as he lands and he smacks onto the deck.

The startling incident occurred in the Namba neighbourhood of the Japanese city of Osaka in the Kansai Region as revellers were celebrating the end of Emperor Akihito’s reign.

In the video, a group of onlookers can be crowded around a young man who then jumps off the bridge down into the canal below.

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The man, who has not been named in reports, spins in the air but just as he falls a canal boat emerges from under the bridge and he lands on its deck with a thud.

Another clip shows him lying in pain on the front of the boat and local media report the crew took the vessel back to the dock to provide the main with first aid.

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However, the man refused to be treated and walked off without any medical assistance, according to reports.

Emperor Akihito became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in more than 200 years.

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The 85-year-old was allowed to abdicate after saying he felt unable to fulfil his role because of his age and declining health.