Working Conditions Aboard the Jeikei3

A significant maritime incident occurred in the Seto Inland Sea on June 26 around midnight, when the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) minesweeper 'Notojima' suffered a collision with the cargo vessel 'Jeikei 3'. Following the impact, the 510-ton 'Notojima', which was carrying a crew of 41, lost navigational control and was subsequently towed to a shipyard on Innoshima Island, located in Hiroshima Prefecture. The incident took place approximately 1.5 kilometers northeast of Koneshima Island in Hiroshima. The collision happened when the cargo ship, weighing 699 tons and manned by five crew members, struck the starboard side stern of the 'Notojima' with its port side bow. At the time of the accident, the weather conditions were cloudy, but visibility remained clear, and the sea was calm. The 'Notojima' is part of the 44th Mine Warfare Force, based in Maizuru, Kyoto, and was en route to an MSDF facility in Kure, Hiroshima, while the 'Jeikei 3' was traveling from Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture to Fukuyama City in Hiroshima. For further details and images, please refer to the following report: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/06/ffc064d1ed70-msdf-minesweeper-cargo-ship-collide-in-western-japan-sea.html

In the early hours of June 27, 2023, a significant maritime incident occurred in the Inner Japan Sea, southwest of Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture, involving the general cargo ship JEIKEI 3 and the Japanese minesweeper NOTOJIMA. At approximately 01:00 Tokyo time, the freighter's bow collided with the starboard stern of the minesweeper, resulting in visible damage to the NOTOJIMA, as evidenced by published photographs. Meanwhile, the JEIKEI 3 sustained a dent on its bulbous bow. Following the incident, the JEIKEI 3, which was making its way from Kitakyushu to Fukuyama, managed to resume its journey some time after the collision.