Henoko Boat Capsizing: School Bears Responsibility for Underestimating Dangers of Sea

Editorial

14:57 JST, March 19, 2026

A tragic accident resulting in the death of a student occurred during a school trip. Was the trip properly planned? It is crucial to conduct a thorough investigation and take steps to prevent a recurrence.

Off the coast of the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, where construction is underway to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air station, two boats carrying 18 students from Doshisha International Senior High School in Kyoto Prefecture capsized, killing a female student and the captain. Fourteen people, mostly students, were also injured.

Because the area is shallow, high waves can develop easily. A wave advisory was issued on that day and whitecaps were forming, but the captain reportedly decided to set sail anyway.

The Japan Coast Guard has launched an investigation into allegations of professional negligence resulting in death or injury. The primary focus will likely be on whether the decision to set sail under these circumstances was appropriate.

The law on maritime transportation stipulates that businesses engaged in the transport of passengers by ship must register with the government. Since both vessels were unregistered, it appears that the legality of the operation will also be called into question.

The school’s handling of the situation was also problematic. No teachers were on board supervising, and the decision to set sail was left entirely to the captain. The school said: “Since the captain said it was ‘fine,’ we did not overrule the decision. We were too lenient.”

As part of its “peace education” program, the school has been visiting the Henoko district since around 2015 and incorporated boat tours into the program starting in 2023.

An accident in 2022, in which a tourist boat sank off the coast of the Shiretoko area in Hokkaido, left 26 people dead or missing, and the memory is still fresh. Why did this not lead to a reevaluation of the boat tours?

The two boats were also being used in protests against the relocation project. It leaves one wondering whether these students really couldn’t learn about “peace” without being taken by such boats all the way to the construction site.

The students must have been looking forward to their school trip to Okinawa Prefecture. The parents who saw them off surely never imagined that their children would be involved in an accident while on the trip and that one would be unable to return home. The school bears heavy responsibility for its lack of awareness of potential dangers.

In 2017, eight people, mostly high school students, were caught in an avalanche and killed while participating in climbing training on a snow-covered mountain in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, as part of their club activities. The teachers supervising the trip were held criminally liable.

In 2010, a rowboat carrying a total of 20 students and teachers on a field trip capsized on Lake Hamana in Hamamatsu, resulting in the death of a student. Ensuring safety during extracurricular activities is an essential duty for every school.

Schools across the country are urged to reexamine whether the itineraries for their overnight school trips, field trips and experiential learning activities are reasonable and whether safety measures are adequate.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 19, 2026)