The government filed a damages suit with the Naha District Court in Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday against the Chinese captain of a fishing boat that collided with Japan Coast Guard vessels in disputed waters off the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in September 2010.
The 44-year-old skipper, Zhan Qixiong, has not responded to repeated claims for damages of ¥14.29 million to cover repair costs by the 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Naha.
Japanese authorities decided to take legal action before the right to damages legally expires on Feb. 20, Akihiro Ota, the minister for land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, said at a press conference earlier in the day.