Japanese tour company exec denies wrongdoing in fatal boat capsizing off Hokkaido
The president of a Japanese tour vessel operating company has denied any wrongdoing in a maritime accident that left at least 20 people dead off the coast of Hokkaido over three years prior, Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun reports.
Seiichi Katsurada, President of Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser, appeared in Hokkaido's Kushiro District Court earlier this week for the first of 12 hearings that will be held before his sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2026.
The defendant apologised to the victims' families during his initial court appearance. However, he has continually denied that he is ultimately responsible for the tragedy.
The counsel for the defence argued that the 62-year-old Katsurada be acquitted, claiming that the fatal capsizing, "could not have been foreseen."
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 as far as 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.
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.
