Japanese tour company exec denies wrongdoing in fatal boat capsizing off Hokkaido

The president of a Japanese tour vessel operating company has denied any wrongdoing in a maritime accident that left at least 20 people dead off the coast of Hokkaido over three years prior, Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun reports.

Seiichi Katsurada, President of Shiretoko Pleasure Cruiser, appeared in Hokkaido's Kushiro District Court earlier this week for the first of 12 hearings that will be held before his sentencing, which is tentatively scheduled for June 17, 2026.