2 Die in Boat Capsizing During Kyoto High School Field Trip in Okinawa; Japan Rules School Negligent

CNA Tokyo, May 22. Students from Doshisha International High School in Kyoto were involved in a boat capsizing incident in March near the planned relocation site of a U.S. military base in Henoko, Nago City, Okinawa, resulting in the deaths of a female student and the boat captain. The Japanese government ruled today that the school's field trip violated "political neutrality." According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the trip's primary purpose was to visit a site protesting the base relocation, and the school failed to conduct prior safety checks, deeming the educational content and safety management "extremely inappropriate." Although the school claimed it was part of "peace education," MEXT concluded it lacked diverse perspectives and was biased. This is the first time a school has been found in violation of the Basic Act on Education since 2006. Additionally, the captain is suspected of violating the Maritime Transportation Act and has been reported to the authorities.