Ceremony held in Hawaii for Ehime Maru victims

Code-Switching Butterflies

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A memorial ceremony has been held in Hawaii to mark the 20th anniversary of a maritime accident involving a Japanese high school training boat and a US navy nuclear submarine.

The Ehime Maru sank off Hawaii after it was struck by the USS Greeneville on February 9, 2001, local time. The training boat belonged to Uwajima Fisheries High School. Nine people died, including students and others.

The ceremony took place on Tuesday at a waterfront park in Hawaii. It was scaled back this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bereaved family members from Japan did not attend.

At the ceremony, the names of the victims were read out, and participants observed a moment of silence at 1:43 p.m., the exact time of the accident.

Attendees laid Hawaiian flower leis in front of a cenotaph bearing the names of the victims.

One of the organizers, Earl Okawa, said it was unfortunate that the bereaved family members were unable to attend because of the pandemic.

He added that a strong friendship has developed between the families and the people in Hawaii. He said, "The relationship hopefully will become even stronger through the years."

Session Notes:
Maritime
Sank off
Struck
Scaled back
Bereaved
Cenotaph
Bearing