A restaurant in Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido hopes to be a place of comfort for families of victims in a tourist boat accident off its coast in April last year.
"Oyaji" in the Utoro district of Shari town opened seven months after the accident. It is operated by a fishery company headed by Akihiko Kosaka, a veteran fisherman who participated in the search at sea for those on board the sunken Kazu I, with Kosaka cooking dishes himself.
The 19-ton vessel left the Utoro port on April 23 last year despite the bad weather forecast for sightseeing along the Shiretoko Peninsula and went missing. The accident left 20 dead and six others missing.
Kosaka, 64, says he is limited in what he can do to help but wanted to create a place for their families to come to if they visit the area.
"I would be able to tell them the circumstances around the search" for their loved ones, he said.
Oyaji offers seasonal dishes, using local fish catch like salmon and yellowtail. There is no menu, and diners must make reservations to eat at the 16-seat restaurant.
Tourists to the area famed for its natural beauty come to taste his food. So do local people, including Mariko Hayashi, 57, who works at a local guest house.
"Everything tastes good here," she said as she dined at the restaurant in late March. Describing Kosaka as a friendly person, she added, "Everyone trusts him."
The restaurant's walls are covered with photos of the cook and his customers.
Kosaka participated in the search for the missing victims from the day after the accident. He found a book bag with a game console and a coloring book inside, which he said made him cry as the contents reminded him of his 4-year-old grandchild.
He said he lost 5 kilograms in 10 days due to emotional exhaustion, being overwhelmed by grief, and the responsibility of directing some of the searches.
Kosaka became a fisherman when he was 18. With more than 40 years of experience at sea, he is extremely familiar with the sea conditions around Shiretoko, including its frigid April waters.
"The fear when a boat is sinking is unimaginable," said Kosaka, who lost a colleague at sea.
"Right up to the accident, those who were on the boat must have thought that Shiretoko is a beautiful place. I want to make this area one where, if the families of the victims come, they would think that it is a good place, too," the mariner said.
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