More and more fishing boats wash up on Japanese shores. Sometimes these containers contained rotting corpses. They are called “ghost ships” in Japan. Where did these ships go, and what factors contributed to their sinking? Documentary Ghost Ship sets out to uncover the answers behind this chilling mystery.
Japan has received more than 80 North Korean shipwrecks in a recent year. These fishing boats were marked with original Korean markings and often contained the dead bodies of the crew. The removal of these damaged ships and dead sailors brought a heavy financial burden and great worry and fear to the residents of Japan. North Korea and Japan have no diplomatic ties, making it difficult to identify each victim and further obscuring the mystery surrounding their deaths.
Some ships arrived in shipwreck-like conditions. Badly damaged by the ravages of the sea, they were washed ashore in ragged clothes. Investigators could easily deduce that they were fishing boats that could not withstand rough sea conditions. But other ships were found in pristine condition without any evidence of human life.
Investigators are clearly at a disadvantage given North Korea’s tight borders and surveillance. In their quest for answers, they often rely on the efforts of domestic insiders.
Conspiracies exist without hard facts. Could these capsized ships harbor spies? Could they be defectors who risked their lives to flee North Korea? Or were they part of a larger operation aimed at kidnapping Japanese citizens?
The film finalizes a popular theory about North Korea’s booming fishing industry and the possibility that desperate fishermen may venture into dangerous waters in search of a profitable squid population.
Ghost Ships, produced by CAN investigative series Undercover Asia, plays a dynamic maritime mystery. As the narrative unfolds, its meaning expands to include the dynamic between two irreconcilable nations, a vast industry suffering from dwindling fish populations, and the desperation of people to survive whatever it takes.
Directed by: Igor Aleksejev
