Photo/Illutration Bereaved families pray for their loved ones at the sinking point of the Kazu I off Shari, Hokkaido, on July 13. (Takeo Kato)

SHARI, Hokkaido—More than three years after a small sightseeing boat sank off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula here, grieving family members of the passengers mourned at the site on July 13. 

As a monk chanted Buddhist sutras at around 10:30 a.m., the families of the victims threw flowers into the sea off the coast of the Kashuni waterfalls.  

“We’re coming home together,” a bereaved family member said, weeping.

After the boat’s horn sounded, everyone observed a moment of silence.

Even as the boat began to move away, the voices of family members calling out their loved ones’ names echoed over the water.

The families also landed near Cape Shiretoko, where the remains and belongings of those who died in the sinking of the Kazu I on April 23, 2022, had been found. The bodies of 20 passengers and crew members have been recovered and six remain missing.

This was the first memorial service held at the actual site of the sinking. Forty bereaved family members of 14 passengers took part.

The 66-year-old father of Michio Koyanagi, who was 34 and remains missing, came from Fukuoka Prefecture.

“I’m so glad I could call out Michio’s name loudly without worrying about what others think," he said. "I’m just overwhelmed with tears. ...”

Until now, annual memorial ceremonies have been held near the Utoro fishing port, where the cruise boat departed more than three years ago. However, the location is far from the actual site of the sinking.

To feel closer to the loved ones they had lost, some bereaved family members quietly joined regular tourist cruises to approach the sinking point, shedding tears in silence while surrounded by other sightseers enjoying the nature of Shiretoko.

The memorial trip on July 13 was organized by a volunteer search team who wanted the grieving families to have a chance to mourn without restraint.

Donations from across Japan exceeded 14 million yen ($95,000) for the offshore memorial service.

A 53-year-old man from Obihiro, Hokkaido, whose 7-year-old son and 42-year-old former wife are still missing, visited the sinking site for the first time.

He had been hesitant to visit before, instead clinging to hope for their return.

“Although I came with mixed emotions, it was good to come here. I’m so grateful for everyone across the country who donated,” he said as tears streamed down his face.

The boat carrying the bereaved families departed Utoro fishing port—the same port from which the Kazu I set sail—at around 5:30 a.m. on July 13.

The boat was scheduled to travel nearly 40 kilometers along the same route. About an hour and a half after setting out, they arrived at the small shelter harbor of Bunkichi Bay.

From there, the mourners walked about 700 meters to Keikichi Bay, where many of the victims’ remains and belongings had washed ashore. The rugged terrain made it impossible for a vessel to land directly.

With help from the volunteer search team, the bereaved families climbed the steep slopes using ropes.

A 68-year-old father who lost his 34-year-old son made the trek over the difficult path with three other family members.

The volunteer team had discovered his son’s digital camera near this location last summer. The father had desperately wanted to visit that specific spot.

“He loved eating more than anything. But he also worried about his weight, so he often drank nonalcoholic beer,” he recalled.

The family placed an offering of his favorite foods and snacks at the place where the camera was found. The family had also poured beer into the sea off the coast of the Kashuni waterfalls during the trip.

“I couldn’t stop crying,” the father said.

(This article was written by Chifumi Shinya and Masafumi Kamimura.)

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