The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism confirmed in an inspection immediately before the accident that a sightseeing boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, and there was a hole in the wall partitioning the bottom of the boat, making it easy for water to collect in front of it. It was revealed that it was not.
According to the law, ships sailing near land are not required to seal the walls, but experts point out that "it is doubtful that the ship will sink faster."
In the accident where the tourist ship "KAZU 1" sank off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a hole was made in the wall that divides the warehouse of the ship under the deck in front of the ship that was lifted from the seabed, and the front of the ship bottom is large. It is known that it became a space and the structure was such that more water could easily collect.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has revealed that the hole in the wall called the "bulkhead" that divides the shipyard was not confirmed by the inspection three days before the accident.
The reason is that although the bulkheads of small vessels are usually required to be sealed by law, this time the vessel is not covered by the law because it sails close to the land.
On the other hand, Mr. Hiroyasu Ito, who was the top maritime security officer at the site and the chief of the security and rescue department at the Japan Coast Guard, said, "The bulkhead has an important structure to stop flooding and prevent the ship from sinking. The lack of this may have accelerated the sinking. Although sailing near land, the provision that a passenger ship that holds the lives of many people does not need to have a bulkhead is questionable. " I am.
Regarding this, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Saito only stated at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the 3rd, "We are currently conducting an investigation into the relationship with the accident and will refrain from answering."