The North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 arrived at Niigata port Tuesday, 13 days after its last visit, bringing home some 50 students of Tokyo's Korea University who went on a school trip to the North, and other passengers.
Tight security was on hand for the arrival of the ship, whose skipper faces legal action for allegedly carrying too many passengers from Japan on a previous visit.
A rightwing group protested Tuesday's port call, but members of a local group supporting relatives of Japanese abducted to North Korea decided not to organize a demonstration this time.