
Passengers walk toward a tourist boat in Shari, Hokkaido, on Thursday.
16:02 JST, June 16, 2022
The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry on Thursday revoked the license of a tourist boat operator following a fatal accident in April off Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
The Kazu I sank with 26 people aboard on April 23. The bodies of 14 victims have been found. Twelve people are still unaccounted for.
Shiretoko Pleasure Boat received the heaviest punishment under the Maritime Transportation Law. It is the first time a company has lost its license under the law following an accident.
The transport ministry conducted a special audit of the Shari, Hokkaido-based company and confirmed 19 violations of the law, including the decision to operate the vessel on the day of the accident despite a storm warning.
At a ministry hearing on Tuesday, the company said that the government, as the supervisory authority, also bore responsibility.
However, the ministry decided to revoke the company’s license because it concluded there was a “high probability that a serious accident would occur again” if the firm continued to operate.
In addition to issuing notification of the disciplinary action, the ministry also requested in writing that the company make a sincere effort to compensate the victims’ families.
The company can appeal the decision within three months of the revocation. It cannot reacquire a license for two years.
Two tourist boat operators in the Shiretoko region resumed operations on Thursday, with new safety measures in place. They had suspended operations since the fatal accident.
At 10 a.m., the Dolphin III tourist boat set off from the Utoro fishing port in Shari carrying 19 passengers, accompanied by a vessel carrying no passengers.
“I have mixed feelings, but I’m glad we’ve taken a step forward,” a member of a local tourist boat association said.
"Society" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Japan’s Maglev Shinkansen’s Partially Completed Station Unveiled; Station Will Be Only Underground Stop Between Shinagawa, Nagoya
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Japan Pavilion Security Guard Headset Goes Viral on Social Media; Fans Delight at Similarity to Dragon Ball “Scouter”
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Yoshimura Asks Japan Expo Association to Consider Keeping Restaurants, Shops Open until Just before 10 P.M.
-
Fukuoka City School Lunch Menu with Only One Karaage Fried Chicken Draws Criticism; Mayor Vows to Improve School Meals
-
2025 Expo Osaka : Expo Venue Hit by Swarms of Chironomids; Organizers Cooperating with Pest Control Companies, Others to Deal with Outbreak
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
Visitors to Japan Hit Single-Month Record High in April
-
Aichi Rice Production Under Siege from Warming Climate; Record Heat Stunts Crop Growth, Causes Greater Pest Activity
-
Japanese Researchers Develop ‘Transparent Paper’ as Alternative to Plastics; New Material Is Biodegradable, Can Be Produced with Low Carbon Emissions
-
Japan’s Core Inflation Hits More than 2-year High, Could Force Year-End BOJ Hike
-
Trump: Nippon Steel Will Part Own U.S. Steel, U.S. to Be in Control; Share Distribution, Other Details Remain Unclear