CEO of Hokkaido Tour Boat Company Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison Over 2022 Sinking That Killed 20 and Left 6 Missing

Central Message

(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 17th - Comprehensive foreign media report) After a tourist boat sank off Hokkaido in 2022, resulting in 20 deaths and 6 missing, the company's CEO was prosecuted for professional negligence causing death. Today, the Kushiro District Court in Hokkaido sentenced the defendant to five years in prison, in line with the prosecution's request. The ruling can be appealed.

The maritime disaster occurred in April 2022, when the cruise vessel KAZU 1, operated by the sightseeing boat company 'Shiretoko Kankōsen,' sank in waters off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, killing 18 passengers, the captain, and another crew member—totaling 20 fatalities. The remaining six passengers remain missing.

Keiichi Katsurada, 62, president of 'Shiretoko Kankōsen,' was indicted by prosecutors last November on charges of professional negligence causing death.

According to the verdict reported by the Yomiuri Shimbun and Hokkaido Broadcasting (HBC), Katsurada failed to monitor weather and sea conditions on April 23, 2022, despite foreseeable risks of injury or death due to deteriorating weather, ultimately leading to 26 people either dead or missing.

The central legal issue was whether Katsurada, who did not operate the vessel, could have predicted the accident.

The prosecution argued that strong winds and high waves had already exceeded the company's sailing safety standards, and as both the voyage manager and the person responsible for overall safety, Katsurada should have foreseen the risk of casualties due to worsening weather.

However, the defense claimed that the sinking was caused by a failure in the forward deck hatch, and that Katsurada was unaware of the malfunction, thus denying his ability to foresee the disaster and arguing for acquittal.

Today, presiding Judge Sachio Mizukoshi of the Kushiro District Court stated that the deteriorating weather on the day of the accident was foreseeable and that 'it was possible to anticipate conditions that would compromise navigation safety.' He also noted, 'Although the defendant expressed remorse and apologized, these statements appear superficial and lack sincerity.' The court sentenced Katsurada to five years in prison, in accordance with the prosecution's request.

According to Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting (UHB), after the verdict, Katsurada issued a statement saying, 'This maritime disaster caused the deaths of many passengers and crew, and some remain missing. I plan to continue expressing my apologies and making amends as the legal representative of the company.'

Regarding the verdict, Katsurada said, 'I will discuss with my lawyers and assess future responses,' without confirming whether he would appeal.

Reports indicate that the next focus will be whether an appeal is filed. (Translation: Yang Weijing) 1150614