Emergency safety inspections found a total of 346 violations of the Marine Transportation Law and the Ship Safety Law at 162 businesses, or about 20% of all passenger boat operators nationwide, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry announced Friday.
The ministry has issued administrative guidance to the violating operators, citing "insufficient understanding of laws and regulations," and will continue to focus its audits on them.
The emergency inspections were conducted on 790 operators nationwide from April 25 to May 31 in response to the deadly sinking of the tourist boat Kazu I off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido. Of the 26 people who were aboard Kazu I, 14 have been confirmed dead and 12 are still missing.
