In the accident where a tour boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism revoked the permission of the tour boat business because it was confirmed that the operating company violated the Marine Transportation Act such as not complying with the criteria for departure judgment. We have decided on a policy of heavy administrative sanctions.
It was also found that the president had made a false report to the country, and it was decided that if the business was continued, there was a risk of a serious accident again.
In the accident where the tourist ship "KAZU 1" sank off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted a special audit of the operating company "Shiretoko Tour Boat" and investigated the operation system on the day of the accident.
As a result, the safety management system was inadequate, such as the fact that the departure decision criteria were not observed, the flight manager was absent from the company, and fixed-point communication was not made during the flight. It means that 17 cases of violations of the Safety Management Regulations based on the Marine Transportation Act were confirmed, such as inadequate communication equipment.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the president, who had been appointed as the flight manager, had no practical experience and had made false notifications to the government.
Based on these violations, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to revoke the license for the tour boat business, judging that if the business is continued, it may cause a serious accident again.
Revocation of a business license is the heaviest administrative disposition, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to dispose of it after hearing what the company says.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito said, "Based on the results of the special audit, we will continue to consider thorough safety measures to prevent such a tragic accident from happening again."