Victims Remembered 2 Years after Hokkaido Boat Accident

Shari, Hokkaido, April 23 (Jiji Press)--A memorial ceremony was held in the town of Shari, Hokkaido, on Tuesday to remember the victims of the sinking of a tour boat off the Shiretoko Peninsula in the northernmost Japan prefecture two years ago.

The ceremony was attended by about 150 people, including bereaved relatives. They offered flowers and prayed for the repose of the victims' souls.

"As the entire regional community, we will reconsider what we should do to be a safe and attractive tourist destination and will continue to implement safety and security measures one by one," Shari Mayor Hiroaki Yamauchi said in his speech.

The Kazu I tour boat, operated by Shari-based Shiretoko Yuransen, sank on April 23, 2022, leaving 20 of the 26 passengers and crew members dead and the six others unaccounted for.

Shortly after 1 p.m., when the accident is believed to have occurred, sirens were sounded and participants observed a moment of silence.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]