Tokai Kisen president to resign after alcohol violations, ship suspension order
In short
Tokai Kisen, which runs passenger ships between Tokyo and the Izu Islands, said on Oct. 5 that president Junichi Yamasaki will resign on Oct. 31 and become an adviser, after the government ordered the suspension of some of its vessels. The order, issued by the Kanto Transport Bureau on Oct. 2, followed violations including crew members working under the influence of alcohol. Senior managing director Yoshinori Kurasaki will become president on Nov. 1.
Read the full story 2 min read
Tokai Kisen, which operates passenger ships between Tokyo and the Izu Islands, announced on Oct. 5 that president Junichi Yamasaki will resign on Oct. 31 and become an adviser, after the government ordered the use of some of its vessels to be suspended. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 ]
The Kanto Transport Bureau issued the suspension order on Oct. 2 under the Maritime Transportation Act, after violations including crew members working while under the influence of alcohol, according to Yomiuri Shimbun, Nippon TV News and Sankei Shimbun. Nippon TV News reported the order covers three ships on three routes, including the Tokyo–Hachijojima route, for 20 days from Oct. 9 to Oct. 28; the other documents say only that some vessels were covered. [ 1 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
Yoshinori Kurasaki, 64, currently a senior managing director, will become president on Nov. 1, according to Yahoo! News Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Nippon TV News and Sankei Shimbun. Yamasaki, 79, will leave the board and take the post of adviser, Sankei Shimbun reported, while NHK and Nippon TV News said he will become an adviser from November. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Yamasaki offered his resignation himself and that the company said the move was intended to clarify his management responsibility. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
The company also announced returns of executive pay. Sankei Shimbun reported that Yamasaki will return 80 percent of his monthly pay for one month, Kurasaki 30 percent for two months, and other executives 10 to 20 percent for one to two months. Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Yamasaki would return 80 percent for one month, and that Kurasaki and eight other executives would return 30 to 10 percent for one to two months. [ 4 , 8 ]
Tokai Kisen said it would work to strengthen its safety management system, rebuild its safety culture and restore trust under the new management. [ 4 , 6 ]
TBS NEWS DIG reported that the case involved multiple crew members working while intoxicated, and that crew held a New Year's party on board on New Year's Day and then stood a watch shift while under the influence of alcohol; its summary also referred to an alcohol test, without giving further details. Yahoo! News Japan's feed also carried a report on the effects of the suspension on island residents' daily lives and fishing. [ 2 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The suspension covers ships serving Izu Islands routes, and Yahoo! News Japan's feed carried a report saying the effect on island residents' daily lives and fishing was inevitable. The management change puts a new president in charge of rebuilding safety procedures and trust at a company that provides lifeline ferry services from Tokyo.
Key facts
- Tokai Kisen announced on Oct. 5 that president Junichi Yamasaki will resign on Oct. 31. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The Kanto Transport Bureau issued a suspension order on Oct. 2 under the Maritime Transportation Act over violations including crew working while under the influence of alcohol. [ 1 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Senior managing director Yoshinori Kurasaki, 64, will become president on Nov. 1, succeeding Yamasaki, 79. [ 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- Nippon TV News reported the order covers three ships on three routes, including the Tokyo–Hachijojima route, for 20 days from Oct. 9 to Oct. 28. [ 6 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reported that Yamasaki will leave the board, become an adviser and return 80 percent of his monthly pay for one month, with other executives returning part of their pay. [ 4 , 8 ]
- The company said it will strengthen its safety management system and work to restore trust. [ 4 , 6 ]
- Tokai Kisen operates passenger ships between Tokyo and the Izu Islands. [ 2 , 6 , 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Tokai Kisen announced on Oct. 5 that president Junichi Yamasaki will resign on Oct. 31, and that Yoshinori Kurasaki will become president on Nov. 1. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]
- The government ordered the suspension of part of the company's fleet under the Maritime Transportation Act over violations including alcohol-related crew conduct. [ 1 , 4 , 6 , 8 ]
- The company said it would work to strengthen safety management and restore trust. [ 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Which routes and ships the suspension order covers, beyond the details given by one outlet. Only Nippon TV News names three routes and three ships, including Tokyo–Hachijojima, and the Oct. 9–28 period; the other documents say only that some vessels were covered.
- The full scope of the violations and any related disciplinary measures. The documents describe multiple violations in general terms; TBS NEWS DIG refers to a New Year's Day party on board, a subsequent watch shift while under the influence and an alcohol test, but its summary is cut off.
- The exact scale of the executive pay returns. Yomiuri Shimbun says Kurasaki and eight other executives will return 30 to 10 percent of monthly pay for one to two months, while Sankei Shimbun says Kurasaki will return 30 percent for two months and other executives 10 to 20 percent for one to two months.
- The concrete impact of the suspension on island residents' travel, daily life and fishing. Yahoo! News Japan's feed carried a headline saying such effects were inevitable, without giving details in the available text.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- NHK News reports that the president of Tokai Kisen will resign at the end of the month and become an adviser, after the company received a government order to suspend the use of some of its ships. [ 1 ]
- Yahoo! News Japan reports that president Junichi Yamasaki, 79, will resign on Oct. 31 and that senior managing director Yoshinori Kurasaki, 64, will become president on Nov. 1. [ 2 ]
- Yomiuri Shimbun reports the company announced on Oct. 5 that Yamasaki will resign on Oct. 31 following the Kanto Transport Bureau's Oct. 2 suspension order, and that he offered the resignation himself. [ 4 ]
- Nippon TV News reports the order covers three ships on three routes, including the Tokyo–Hachijojima route, for 20 days from Oct. 9 to Oct. 28. [ 6 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the resignation decision, citing multiple crew members working while under the influence of alcohol. [ 7 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the executive pay returns, including Yamasaki returning 80 percent of his monthly pay for one month. [ 8 ]