Family members of female students meet with Okinawa governor to appeal for safety on training trips - Henoko overturns

Two small boats capsized off the coast of Henoko in Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture, killing two people, including Tomoka Takeishi, then 17, a second-year student at Doshisha International High School (Kyoto Prefecture).Takeishi's parents met with Governor Genta Koja at the prefectural office on the 17th. He called for efforts to ensure safety, such as the formulation of guidelines for study tours.

This is the first meeting between the bereaved family and the governor of Okinawa Prefecture since the accident. After the meeting was held behind closed doors, both sides responded to interviews with reporters.

According to Takeishi's father, during the meeting, he requested that he understand the actual state of safety management on the part of those providing hands-on activities. Considering that the two vessels that caused the accident were not registered as businesses under the Maritime Transportation Law, the statement appealed, ``I hope that unregistered entities will never allow children to board a vessel again.''

Koja said, ``We will consider measures to ensure the safety of educational travel and prevent it from becoming obsolete.''

The 16th marks seven months since the accident occurred. Prior to the meeting, Mr. Koja visited the Henoko fishing port near the site of the accident and laid flowers.