In Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture, bereaved relatives, students and others gathered to mark 25 years since the 2001 Ehime Maru sinking. The training vessel was struck by a U.S. nuclear submarine off Hawaii, killing nine people. The ceremony included a moment of silence at the exact time of the accident.
On February 10, 2026, a memorial ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of the Ehime Maru incident at Uwajima Fisheries High School in Ehime Prefecture. About 260 people, including bereaved relatives, students and teachers, attended to pray for the nine victims.
The accident occurred at 8:43 a.m. Japan time on February 10, 2001, when the training vessel Ehime Maru was struck by the U.S. nuclear submarine USS Greeneville off Oahu, Hawaii. The submarine was performing an emergency surfacing demonstration with civilians aboard. The victims included four student trainees, two instructors and three crew members.
During the ceremony, a bell salvaged from the Ehime Maru was rung nine times, and participants observed a moment of silence. School principal Mitsumasa Kawano said, “I’m overcome with grief when I think of those whose futures were taken halfway through their aspirations,” urging students “not to forget the preciousness of life and the importance of peace.”
Ryodai Yamashita, 17, head of the student council and a second-year student in the fisheries propagation department, stated after the event, “Things like the accident should never happen again.” He added, “It is important to pass the lessons of the accident on to younger students to make sure that every one of them knows what happened and that the tragedy is never forgotten.”
A memorial ceremony planned in Hawaii for the same day was canceled due to bad weather.
The incident strained Japan-U.S. relations at the time, and annual commemorations have been held since.
