Safety in Shambles: Japan's Boat Licensing Loophole Exposed The capsizing of two small boats off Henoko in Okinawa prefecture on March 16th, which resulted in the death of a 17 year old student and her captain, has exposed a disturbing practice among some boat operators in Japan.
According to sources close to the investigation, captains allowed students to steer the boats before the incident, raising questions about the effectiveness of current regulations.
The incident occurred during high waves when a warning advisory was issued by the coast guard. Despite this, lax supervision and misplaced trust in unlicensed individuals contributed to the tragedy.