Japanese families say 'thank you'

Advertiser Staff

Relatives of the nine people killed when the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru sank Feb. 9 have issued a letter to the people of Hawai'i.

A translation of their letter was provided to the media yesterday by the Japanese Consulate in Honolulu.

"To the people of Hawai'i:

"After the recent accident between the nuclear submarine Greeneville and the Ehime Maru, we received various forms of assistance from the people of Hawai'i, and for this we are thankful from the bottom of our hearts. We are very much grateful to receive your words of comfort and words to give us courage when we were in deep grief. We were encouraged by your kind thoughts, and, slight though it may be, we are thinking to look to the future.

"The resentment with regard to this accident is definitely not something which is aimed toward the people of Hawai'i and the American people. We are worried that, in our grief, we might have been somewhat thoughtless and impolite. If that is the case, we would like to deeply apologize.

"We fervently pray that such a tragic, unreasonable incident will never happen again. It would be best if we could work together to reach this goal.

"Finally, please forgive us for being so late in sending this thank-you letter to you.

"From all the families of the missing from the Ehime Maru.

March 20, 2001."