Soon to the one-year anniversary of the sinking of a sightseeing boat off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido, a press conference was held with the victims' families on the evening of the 1th to talk about their current state of mind.
On April 4 last year, the sightseeing boat KAZU 23 sank off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, killing 1 people, and the whereabouts of six passengers remain unknown.
Shortly before the one-year anniversary of the accident, a press conference hosted by the defense lawyers was held in Sapporo on the evening of the 1th, and about 20 family members of the passengers also participated online.
A man in his 20s in Fukuoka Prefecture, whose son went missing in an accident, looked back on the past year and said, "I can't work at all, and it's very hard for me mentally.
At the press conference, comments from other family members were also read, such as "grief will never heal" and "I feel helplessly resentful that my family has been deprived."
In addition, a woman who lost her siblings in the accident appealed to Seiichi Katsurada, president of the operating company, to "express your sincere condolences to those who died, and I want you to show your sincere apology."
In addition, a man in his 60s living in the Kanto region who lost his son is scheduled to attend a memorial service in Shari Town on the 1rd, and said, "I would like to at least see from land the magnificent land of Shiretoko, which my son longed for, from the land."
At the press conference, a joint statement by the family association was also issued.
In addition to reiterating his call for President Katsurada to fulfill his accountability, he sternly pointed out to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the inspection agency Japan Small Vessel Inspection Organization, "The failure to conduct sufficient inspections is a major problem, and I believe that they have the same responsibility as the operating companies."
Furthermore, when the Japan Coast Guard pointed out the delay in the initial rescue response, he said, "It is completely unacceptable that the SDF did not immediately request disaster dispatch," and requested verification and improvement of the response at that time.