A court decided Wednesday to hold on Nov. 12 the first hearing of the criminal trial for a tour boat operator charged with professional negligence over the fatal sinking of a tour boat in Hokkaido in 2022. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/29/japan/hokkaido-boat-hearing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #hokkaido #shiretokopeninsula #kazui #marineaccidents
First hearing on fatal Hokkaido tour boat sinking set for Nov. 12

The Kazu I tour boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in April 2022, killing 20 of its 26 passengers and crew members and leaving the other six missing.

The Japan Times
Relatives of passengers who died or went missing when a tour boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido in April 2022 paid tribute to their loved ones at sea on Sunday. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/13/japan/shiretoko-tour-boat-sinking-victims-remembered/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #hokkaido #shiretokopeninsula #kazui #marineaccidents
Victims of 2022 tour boat sinking in Hokkaido remembered at sea

On April 23, 2022, the Kazu I tour boat sank off the peninsula, killing 20 of its 26 passengers and crew, with the other six still missing.

The Japan Times
The head of a tour boat operator whose vessel sank off Hokkaido in 2022, killing 20 and resulting in the disappearance of six others, didn’t “know much about ships.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/09/19/japan/crime-legal/japan-hokkaido-boat-sink-arrest/ #japan #crimelegal #hokkaido #shiretokopeninsula #kazui #ships #cruiseships #marineaccidents
Hokkaido boat operator in 2022 fatal sinking had little knowledge of ships

He made himself the company's safety and operational manager despite lacking the necessary qualifications after dismissing key employees during the pandemic.

The Japan Times