The vessel was going to sail after sold to the foreign buyer.

Please see the information of Second Joint Ministerial Conference of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 2-3, 2004.(Website of Transport Canada) Photos of Second Joint Ministerial Conference of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 2-3, 2004.(Website of Transport Canada)

Government of New Zealand has been posted the following article in the website. Address to the Second Joint Ministerial Conference of the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control.(Website of Government of New Zealand )

This article includes "This will strengthen the circle of responsibility and help us to work together towards elimination of the problem of sub-standard shipping. "

There has been many things to be improved. Many countres recoginzed and understood "Strengthening the Circle of Responsibility"(IMO Website) Head Office of Port State Control does not even understand flag state inspections. They do not know what is a difference between a flag state inspector and a surveyor who belongs to RO (Recognaized Organization) that has been authorized to survey on behalf of flag states. They do not try to understand the differece. I don't understand how PSCOs understand these defferences when people in the Head office don't know them. They probably close their eyes and shut their ears so that they do not see and hear.

Japan PSCOs visited vessels for PSC inspection. However, they did not point out below deficiencies in their reports.

Sample 1 (Winter 2009)

Sample 3 (2010)

Sample 4　 October 2003


Japan PSC inspected this vessel in Mar. 2003. However, they did not point out the above problems at all.

Sample 5

Sample 6

Sample 7 (2008)

Sample 8 taken in 2008

Sample 10 taken in Aug. 2009

Pins connecting hatch covers are missing. Failing for water tightness. Pictures were taken withign less than two months after Japan PSC inspection.

Sample 11 taken in Aug. 2009

Chain pipes are heavily corroded.

This is ture. Shame on Japan and Japan PSC. I feel embarassed that Japan and Japan PSC could not write the above deficiencies as deficiencies. Some PSCOs are lazy or do not know how to inspect vessels.

April 2011 Now many people in the world pay a special attention to Fukushima Nuclear Accident(IAEA)

I found the very interested website about the reality of Nuclear Plants, construction, and inspection.( Hirai Norio)
This site tells you the facts of nuclear plants in Japan. I think that I can partly understand that beacause PSC inspections done by Japan PSCOs are more like the same. Senior PSCOs are appointed by Japan Prime Minister. However, in some cases their experiences and knoweledge are good enough for finiding and judging if vessels are a substandard ship or not. You can't say that the substandard ship is really a substandard ship when you can't find serious deficiencies during his or her inspection although there are serious deficiencies exist. No many people knows even if they couldn't find serious deficiencies. The owner, operator and chatterer are very happy that PSCOs are not good enough to find out deficiencies. I have poited out problems ot Japan PSCOs, but I haven't seen drastic change about their performance. I believe that the top devision of Ministry of Land, Intrastructiure and Transport are not serious enough to make a big change. They did not change much about the training and selection of PSCO candidates and the systems. Some of them does not have experiences and knowledge about finding deficiencies but they become PSCO. This is one of the big problem why they can't find serious deficiencies. They have a power to detain substandard vessels. However, they have only power, but no enough knowledge and experieces to find deficiencies to determine that a ship is a subsutandard vessel.

Many substandard ships detained in Japan, Korea and China are small general cargoes that were built in Japan as a coaster vessels that International conventions would not apply. Japan PSCOs should have good knowledge what items and area do not comply with International conventions since most of them were Japan Government Marine Surveyors before appointed as a PSCO. They carry out surveys for them during under-construction and annual surveys. Japan PSCOs must teach and exchange their information with PSCOs in other countries when they meet each other. But results of their performance seems that they haven't done such things.

After Fukushima Nuclear Accident(IAEA), I found that there were many problems about nuclear plants and nuclear plant's inspection and organization that control and supervise nuclear plants and electric power companies. Japan Governmental oragnization has been a part of the problem that has been failing to point out problems and modify rules and regualation and the inspection system including the qualification and experiences of inspectors.

This is a good opportunity to speak up about the problem of Japan PSCO (Port State Control Officers) so that other countries know about problems of PSC system and hopefully consider to improve their PSC inspection. As long as what I have seen, Japan can't improve their PSC inspection system drastically in ten (10) years. I think that 10 years is enough time to improve positively.

Most of detained ships in Japan, Korea, and China area were built in Japan as coaster. Japan Port State Control Officers should know items that do not comply with International Conventions (SOLAS, MARPOL, LLC and others) since most of them were Japan Government Marine surveyors who surveyed these Japan coaster during constraction stages and dry-docking survery and issued certificates to them.

Now Matitime devision of Ministry of Land, Intrastructiure and Transport have been certified for ISO 9001. This means that Japan Government Marine surveyors survey according to the quality manual. In other words, they must be familiar about items that International Conventions are not required to comply as a Japan flag coaster that does not engaged in Interantional trade.

In addition, many ships that are ex-Japan flag coasters increase "Deadweight" after a change of flag and navigation area to International trade from coasting/smooth water area. Is it funny? Changing the navigation area to International trade from coasting/smooth water area ends up with gaining more deadweight. What about a ship strength? What about the stability? SOLAS and LLC do not give clear definitions of a ship strength and stability. Japan Port State Control Officers who were Japan Government Marine surveyors could say something about this. Unfortunately, they won't say much and they won't detian ships with these problems. I belive that substandard ships will not be eliminated at least by Japan Port State Control Officers because of the above reasons although Mr. Tadao Iwasaki, Ministry of Land, Intrastructiure and Transport said good things.

My opinion about Japan PSCOs, most of them can't find structure problems and/or do not inspect vessels to find structre's problems. I have to conclude this considering the number of detained ships in Japan. No matter what excesses Japan PSCOs say, I will not take them. If they properly inspect substtandard ships entering Japan ports, there would be more ships detained. Are they avoiding substandard ships to reduce their jobs or shorten a working time? Is their goal to eliminate substanard ships or just saying it with no intention to achieve it.

関水康司（せきみずこうじ）国際海事機関（IMO）海上安全部長のIMO事務局長選挙への擁立　（外務省のHPより）

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