A small sightseeing boat operator based in Shari Town in Shiretoko in eastern Hokkaido began operating this season on April 4. The council formed by the operators states that safe operation is based on the voluntary rules created in response to the sinking accident of a sightseeing boat.

The four operators of the Shiretoko Small Sightseeing Boat Association, based in Utoro, Shari Town, created their own rules in response to the accident in which a sightseeing boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in April last year, and stipulated that if the operation decision is discussed by multiple people, the flight will be canceled if the decision is divided.

Based on this voluntary rule, the operation of this season's small sightseeing boat was scheduled to start on the 4th, but it was canceled due to the weather, and the flight started this afternoon.

About 4 passengers boarded the first sightseeing boat of the season, donned life jackets for the approximately two-hour tour.

A woman in her 28s who visited from Saitama Prefecture said, "I think there are things that have been considered after the accident, so I wasn't particularly worried.

Nobukatsu Kamio, chairman of the Shiretoko Small Sightseeing Boat Association, said, "We will firmly follow the voluntary rules formulated by the council so that we can operate safely until the end."

Small sightseeing boats in Utoro, Shari Town, are scheduled to operate until late October.