A tragic incident occurred off the coast of Henoko, Nago City, Okinawa, where two small boats capsized resulting in the death of a second-year high school girl. On the day of the accident, which took place on October 16 at around 10:10 AM, a total of 21 individuals, including 18 students from Doshisha International High School in Kyoto, were onboard the two vessels, named Fuku and Heiwamaru. The Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that the student, who was 17, along with the ship's captain, lost their lives, while 14 others suffered various injuries. A post-mortem examination confirmed that both drowned.

During the rescue operations, the Nago City Fire Department received reports indicating that one person was trapped beneath the Heiwamaru, leading a team of four rescue divers to discover the girl. Upon investigation, it was revealed that her life jacket had become wedged within a compartment at the stern of the boat, render her unable to move due to the buoyancy and positioning of the life jacket.

Rescue teams arrived at the Henoko fishing port by approximately 10:45 AM, and although many students had already been rescued by the Coast Guard prior to this time, it took until around 11:15 AM—over an hour after the initial incident—for the rescue team to finally recover the girl. The Japan Coast Guard is currently investigating potential negligence resulting in death and injury regarding the incident.