Society

Operator of sightseeing boat that sank off Hokkaido in 2022 arrested

HOKKAIDO, Sep 19 (NHK) - A regional headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard has arrested the head of the operating company of a sightseeing boat that sank off the coast of Hokkaido, northern Japan, in 2022.

The sightseeing boat, "KAZU I," sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido in April 2022, killing 20 people and leaving six others missing.

Katsurada Seiichi, the company's president, was arrested by the 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters on Wednesday on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and another charge.

The regional coast guard bureau said Katsurada failed in his responsibility to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew of the boat.

A report on the cause of the accident released last year by Japan's Transport Safety Board said that the company did not have a proper system in place to ensure safe and sound operation.

The report said an unlocked hatch cover on the boat's forward deck is likely to have opened in bad weather, allowing seawater to flow in. It said other factors contributed to the flooding and sinking of the vessel.

The coast guard bureau interviewed Katsurada on a voluntary basis as part of its investigations.

Fujii Becomes Youngest Lifetime Triple Crown Holder in Shogi History

Shogi champion Sota Fujii, who defended his title in the prestigious Ryuo Tournament, expressed his joy on November 11th after becoming the youngest player in history to qualify for the lifetime title of "Eisei Ryuo" (Lifetime Ryuo).

Japan Plans to Triple Departure Tax to 3,000 Yen

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy committee has drafted a resolution calling on the government to raise the “departure tax” to secure funds for overtourism countermeasures. The proposal seeks to increase the current 1,000 yen per-person levy to 3,000 yen, and to set the rate at 5,000 yen for travelers using business class or higher.

Tokyo Issues Influenza Epidemic Warning for First Time in 16 Years

Tokyo Metropolitan Government issued an influenza epidemic warning on November 13th after the number of reported cases reached the alert threshold, marking the first such announcement in November in 16 years.

Russia Bans 30 More Japanese Nationals

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 11th that it has decided to impose an indefinite entry ban on 30 Japanese nationals as a countermeasure against what it called Japan’s “hostile policies” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mother of 12-Year-Old Thai Girl Caught In Prostitution Gets Arrest Warrant

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant for the mother of a 12-year-old Thai girl who was illegally employed at a massage parlor in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Tokyo Police Leak Exposes Organized Crime Ties

A senior Tokyo Metropolitan Police officer has been arrested on suspicion of leaking confidential investigation data to members of a decentralized criminal network known as “Tokuryu.”

Man Arrested in Shibuya for Kidnapping Stranger, Allegedly Linked to Foreign Crime Group

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested four men, including 41-year-old Daisuke Takehara, on suspicion of confining a man they did not know inside a car in Shibuya Ward. The suspects, including three Uzbek nationals, allegedly deceived the victim and then threatened him for money.

Rifle-Armed Police Begin Bear Control Operations in Northern Japan

Police bear control units were formally deployed on November 13th in Iwate and Akita prefectures, where the number of bear attacks has become increasingly severe, following the recent authorization for officers to use rifles in bear extermination.

Ryoko Hirosue Faces Prosecution for 180 km/h Collision

Actress Ryoko Hirosue is expected to be referred to prosecutors on November 13th on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in injury, after her car collided with a trailer on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture in April.

Man Arrested for Throwing Cone and Sign at Tokyo Train

A 54-year-old man has been arrested after throwing a traffic cone and a metal sign onto railway tracks near JR Oimachi Station in Tokyo, disrupting train services twice during the morning commute in September 2025.

Mother of 12-Year-Old Thai Girl Caught In Prostitution Gets Arrest Warrant

Boy Falls to Death From 10th Floor Apartment

A boy believed to be an elementary school student died after falling from a high-rise apartment in Sendai City on November 11th. Police said that around 3:20 p.m., the boy, estimated to be in his early teens and living in the same building, was found unconscious in the courtyard of a 15-story apartment complex and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Princess Aiko Visits Imperial Mausoleums Ahead of Laos Trip

Princess Aiko, the only daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, paid her respects at the mausoleum of Emperor Showa and other imperial tombs in Hachioji, Tokyo, ahead of her official visit to Laos later this month.

< 2 3 4 5 >