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Families say accident
occurred because of
broken safety rulesBy Harold Morse
Star-Bulletin
Ehime Maru location
Relatives of the nine missing aboard the Ehime Maru when the submarine USS Greeneville rammed it said yesterday the sinking of the vessel was a man-made incident that shouldn't have happened.
Had proper safety procedures been followed by the sub crew, the collision would not have occurred, they said.
The family members spoke at a news conference at the Japanese Cultural Center following the first day of a Navy court of inquiry into the collision. Officials from Ehime Prefecture and the city of Uwajima nodded from time to time in agreement. There were few smiles during the grim Japanese-language news conference.
After brief initial statements, more feeling came out in answering questions about whether anger still remained over losing loved ones.
Kazu Nakata, father of the missing Jun Nakata, eyes moist, showed grief. His somber wife, Mikie Nakata, said nothing herself, but nodded in agreement as he spoke.
Nakata said he felt very strong anger when he saw Cmdr. Scott Waddle for the first time yesterday at the inquiry.
But in the tragedy's overall context, his emotions were less volatile than just after the incident, when he had little or no information, he said. As he learned more and felt support from people in Hawaii and Japan, he was less frustrated and angry, he said
Ryosuke Terata, father of the missing Yusuke Terata, said he was frustrated and tired when he arrived in Hawaii from Japan, but after the first day of the inquiry, he was somewhat calmed and more relaxed. He said he could feel the support of people in Honolulu.
At first he wondered if he could trust the U.S. Navy to investigate the tragic incident, but after attending the inquiry's beginning, he now thinks he can trust the U.S. Navy to get to the bottom of what happened, Terata said.
The inquiry verified the tragedy was man-made, Terata said. Human error resulted in unbelievable errors, he said. He was angry that the Greeneville crew did not take enough time to follow proper procedures.
Others at the news conference were Kazutera Segawa, eldest son of Hirotaka Segawa; Tatsuyoshi Mizuguchi, father of Takeshi Mizuguchi; Miyako Sakashima, mother of Toshiya Sakashima; Michiaki Yokote, Ehime Prefecture education official; Hirohisa Ishibashi, Uwajima mayor; Koichi Yamamoto, Diet member; and Yoshio Mochizuki, parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs.
The Japan-America Society of Hawaii gave $2,000 per family today to four families of Ehime Maru victims. The money is a portion of the more than $100,000 raised for the families of Ehime Maru victims since the Japan-America Society of Hawaii began fund-raising efforts Feb. 12. Donations top $100,000
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin"It is a small expression of our sorrow and support," said executive director Earl Okawa.
The four families are in Hawaii to attend the Navy's investigative hearing into the Feb. 9 collision between the Ehime Maru and a U.S. Navy submarine.
At a later date, the remainder of the funds will be distributed to the families of all 35 men who had been aboard the sunken Japanese training vessel, Okawa said.
"People have been very, very generous," said Okawa. "Over 700 people have contributed."
The two largest contributions are $10,000 each from the First Hawaiian Bank Foundation and Bank of Hawaii.
But donors have not been limited to Hawaii residents.
Individual donations have also come from Georgia, Michigan, Washington state, Nevada, California and Oregon, most of which have organizations under the umbrella National Association of Japan-America Societies, Okawa said.
No cut-off date has been set for collecting the donations, he said.
"It will depend upon how the donations flow in. If it comes down to a trickle, we'll set a deadline," he said.
But that date may not be anytime soon, with 30 to 40 checks arriving in the mail daily.
"People are very much wanting to express their sorrow and support," Okawa said.
The funds will be distributed to the families and to the Uwajima Fisheries High School.
Donations can be made at First Hawaiian Bank branches. Checks can also be sent to the Japan-America Society of Hawaii, Ehime Maru Fund, P.O. Box 1796, Honolulu, 96806, or to First Hawaiian Bank, P.O. Box 3200, Honolulu, 96847.