Japan Warns Shipowners Over Crew Working Hours and Safety Breaches
Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) in Tokyo has published details of formal warnings issued to shipowners for breaking the country’s Seafarers Act and related laws on crew safety and working conditions. The warnings were issued between June and September 2026 and cover the first and second quarters of Japan’s 2026 fiscal year, from April to September.
The breaches involved crew working hours, navigational watchkeeping, emergency drills, pre-departure inspections, alcohol checks for watchkeeping personnel, and the validity of seafarers’ discharge books. Reports on the disclosure did not give the number of shipowners involved or the names of the companies.
From the CrewMirror Blog
MLIT publishes these details every quarter under a public disclosure system. Shipowners collect penalty points for violations, and a company can be publicly named once it reaches 120 points or more within a period of up to two years. The system is meant to push operators to fix problems early and to make safety standards more visible.
Japan’s action is part of a wider tightening of checks on crew conditions. In Australia, a bulk carrier was banned over falsified rest hours after inspectors found that records had been altered, and Liberia has launched an inspection campaign on fire safety and lifesaving gear that tests crew knowledge, not just paperwork.
CrewMirror Takeaway
Accurate rest-hour records, properly run drills and sober watchkeeping protect both the crew and the ship. Seafarers who are pressured to falsify records can raise the matter with the company’s Designated Person Ashore or the flag State.
