A court in Japan's Hokkaido Prefecture has handed down a prison sentence of five years on the president of a local vessel operating company in connection with a maritime incident that left at least 20 people dead four years prior.
On Wednesday, June 17, the Kushiro District Court found Seiichi Katsurada, President of tour operator Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser, guilty of professional negligence resulting in death following the April 23, 2022 incident involving the sightseeing vessel Kazu I.
The presiding judge remarked that the capsizing could have been prevented, as Katsurada was aware of an earlier forecast of strong winds and high waves in the waters off eastern Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula but had decided not to suspend the vessel's operation for that day.
On the day of the incident, Kazu I was operating off 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 investigation revealed that Katsurada had been appointed as Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser's chief safety manager sometime prior to the incident despite his lacking the necessary qualifications.
Katsurada was arrested in 2024 in connection with the tragedy. Although he apologised to the victims' families during a court appearance in November last year, he has continually denied that he is guilty of any wrongdoing.
The counsel for the defence has since filed an appeal in response to the five-year sentence.
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