A Study on the Activities of the Japan Transport Safety Board

Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) was established in 2008, amalgamating the ARAIC (Air and Rail Accident Investigation Commission) and a part of the MAIA (Marine Accident Investigation Agency). This organizational change was necessitated by the entry into force of the amendments of the IMO (International Maritime Organization)’s SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention, which made certain parts of the Marine Safety Investigation Code mandatory. In this article, the author tries to describe and evaluate the performances of the JTSB since its foundation according to the criteria as to the safety investigation set by Professor Seiji Abe. The author finds it largely satisfactory and draws attention to the remarkable changes made in the field of marine safety investigation and improvements made after a scandal in the other modes as well, although certain issues of fundamental nature remain unsolved, which is inherent to the Japanese legal system waiting to be explored by the society as a whole.