Shiretoko cruise ship accident: President Katsurada shows “no signs of remorse” after criticism of proposed settlement.

On September 7, 2011, an investigation report was released into the sinking of the KAZU I, a cruise ship that cruised the waters of the World Heritage Site of Shiretoko in Hokkaido, Japan, with all passengers on board.

The report points out the astonishing fact that the president of the company, who lacked knowledge, was the head of the company, and that no safety management system existed. The report also recorded passengers’ exchanges that the ship would sink and that they could not swim because it was too cold. Twenty people died in the accident, and six are still missing more than a year and a half after it occurred.

On April 27, 2010, at a press conference following the accident, Seiichi Katsurada, 60, president of Shiretoko Pleasure Boat, the operator of the boat, got down on his knees and apologized, causing a stir.

The settlement announced by Shiretoko Yusankisen in November 2011 was also criticized. The family members of the deck crew members protested that it was ‘unrealistic’ to pay 50,000 yen per month to the bereaved families of the deck crew members for 130 years.

Shiretoko Sightseeing Boat had been cutting costs even before the accident. A former employee of Shiretoko Sightseeing Boat confided, “The area where the accident occurred is a special terrain.

The area where the accident occurred has special terrain, and it is impossible to operate the boat without knowing its characteristics. However, President Katsurada fired the experienced captain and left only an inexperienced captain. I believe this was the cause of the tragedy.”

The pleasure boat business is currently suspended, but President Katsurada still manages several hotels in Shiretoko. A resident of the neighborhood said.

Until around the end of 2010, President Katsurada used to drink at his favorite tavern, but I haven’t seen him recently. He still hasn’t apologized to his local peers, even though the number of tourists has dropped since that accident.”

When will President Katsurada show his sincerity?

From the January 5-12, 2024 issue of FRIDAY