Operator of deadly cruise ship sinking in Shiretoko arrested

More than two years after the fatal sinking of a cruise boat off the coast of Hokkaido, the Japanese Coast Guard arrested the president of the cruise company on September 18.

Seiichi Katsurada, 61, is accused of failing to ensure the safety of passengers of his tourism company Shiretoko Pleasure Boat on board the ship Kazu I.

“We have concluded that the accident occurred because Katsurada neglected his duty to ensure the safety of passengers and crew even though he was responsible,” said Nozomu Fujita, a senior official at the JCG's 1st Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.

The accident occurred on April 23, 2022 in rough seas off the west coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula. 20 passengers and crew members were killed and six are missing.

JCG officials did not disclose whether Katsurada admitted or denied the allegations.

When asked why it took so long to arrest the suspect, officers declined to provide any further explanation.

They only said that they needed time to carefully collect evidence through an investigation and data analysis and that they were concerned about the fact that some of the victims were still missing.

Strong winds with maximum speeds of 54 km/h and wave heights of over three meters were forecast for the day of the accident.

These requirements were significantly higher than the limits of 28.8 km/h and 1 meter for the cancellation of cruises that the operator had previously submitted to the Ministry of Transport.

Despite the dangerous conditions, Katsurada instructed the boat's captain, Noriyuki Toyoda, to continue the cruise, with instructions that the ship must return to port if the sea became rough.