1. Disaster of the Steamship "Toya Maru"
Outline of the Case
Typhoon No.15, which came ashore at the southern end of Kyushu at around 01:00 hours on September 26, 1954, proceeded, after that, NE through the Sea of Japan and reached the southern extremity of Hokkaido at midnight on the same day. The Steamship "Toya Maru", a 4,337 gross tonnage rail ferry plying between Aomori and Hakodate, under the ownership of the Japanese National Railways, encountered the typhoon and capsized off the coast of Hakodate with 1,314 persons (including passengers and crew members) on board. Of those,159 persons were rescued, but the remaining 1,155 persons consisting of 1,041 passengers, 73 crew members and 41 other persons, died, an unprecedented marine casualty in the history of marine accidents off the coasts of Japan.
As a result of this typhoon, more than 1,130 vessels nationwide were damaged including the capsizing and foundering near Hakodate of cargo ferries connecting Aomori and Hakodate, such as the "Tokachi Maru", the "Hidaka Maru", the "Kitami Maru", and the "Seikan Maru No.11" claiming another 275 deaths of crew members in total.
In regard to this case, the Hakodate Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency delivered a judgement on September 22, 1955, but the Commissioner of the Hakodate Local Marine Accidents Commissioner's Office filed an application for inquiry, and the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency subsequently pronounced judgement on February 9,1959.
Thereafter, the Japanese National Railways filed a suit with the Tokyo High Court, seeking avoidance of the judgement by the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency. A further appeal was made to the Supreme Court, but was dismissed on April 20, 1961.
Thus, the Summary of the Cause of the Disaster of the Steamship "Toya Maru", which was pronounced by the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency on February 9,1959.
(Ship's particulars)
Type and Name of Ship: Steamship Toya Maru
Port of Registry: Tokyo
Shipowner: Japanese National Railways
Gross Tonnage: 4,337 tons
Net Tonnage: 1,628 tons
Grade: Third grade vessel
Licensed Navigation Area: Coastal area
Engines: Double impulse reaction one-stage reduction geared steam turbines (2 units)
Boilers: Dry combustion round boilers (6 units)
Length: 113.68 m
Breadth: 15.85 m
