A court in Japan's Hokkaido prefecture has set November 12, 2025, as the start of criminal trial proceedings in relation to a maritime accident that left at least 20 people dead two years prior.
The criminal trial of Seiichi Katsurada, President of local tour company Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser, will consist of 12 hearings that will be held before his sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2026, The Japan Times reports.
The 62-year-old Katsurada faces multiple charges of professional negligence resulting in death after an investigation revealed his culpability in the loss of the tour boat Kazu I on April 23, 2022. He was arrested in September last year.
Lawyers representing the families of 14 deceased victims had earlier filed a civil suit with the Sapporo District Court against both Katsurada and Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser. The suit was filed with the aim of seeking damages and compensation totalling approximately JPY1.5 billion (US$9.3 million).
On the day of the incident, Kazu I was operating off Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula with 26 people on board when her crew sent out a distress call reporting water ingress due to rough sea conditions.
Another radio message sent by the crew around two hours later stated that the vessel had listed by over 30 degrees. All contact with the vessel was lost shortly afterwards.
The subsequent search and rescue operation led to the recovery of 20 bodies, all confirmed to be those of occupants on Kazu I.
One deceased individual was reportedly found by the crew of a Russian patrol boat just off Russian-held Kunashiri Island east of Shiretoko.
The vessel itself was found six days after it sank, the wreckage being located at a depth of 120 metres.
A report released by the Japan Transport Safety Board in September 2023 attributed the sinking to a faulty bow deck hatch.
The report also stated the vessel's hull and the onboard communications equipment were not adequately maintained and that a safety management system, "did not exist," as far as operator Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser was concerned.
An earlier investigation revealed Katsurada had been appointed as Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser's chief safety manager sometime prior to the incident despite his lacking the necessary qualifications.
A Japan Coast Guard official had told reporters following Katsurada's arrest that, despite the latter being ultimately responsible for the operation of the tour boat, he had not fulfilled his duty to ensure the safety of the passengers or even the boat's crew.