Introduction
The Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency is charged with clarifying the causes of marine accidents using a form of inquiry similar to a judicial court system with the aim of preventing such accidents in the future. Japan's marine accident inquiry system was established under the Mariner's Disciplinary Punishment Law of 1896, which was succeeded in 1947 by the Marine Accidents Inquiry Law. The system has thus been in effect for more than 100 years.
Each year, the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency publishes information on and statistics related to marine accidents, inquiries and judgments, and accident causes as identified through inquiry procedures, in the form of an annual report.
The "Report on Marine Accidents Inquiries in 1998" was originally published by the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency in September, 1999. This English translation of the report was prepared by the Marine Accidents Inquiry Association, with generous funding from the Nippon Foundation, with the aim of making this information available to concerned individuals and organizations worldwide.
