Uwajima Mayor Hirohisa Ishibashi asked Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Monday to urge the United States to commit to continue searching for nine Japanese who went missing Feb. 9 when a U.S. Navy submarine hit and sank a Japanese long-liner near Hawaii.
"Efforts have been made up to now, but we will try even harder to meet your requests," Mori was quoted as responding to Ishibashi in a meeting at the Diet. The meeting was also attended by officials, including Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, Bunmei Ibuki, state minister in charge of crisis management, and Defense Agency chief Toshitsugu Saito.
Ishibashi also demanded the Ehime Maru be raised as soon as possible. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he refused to comment on Mori's decision to continue a golf game in Yokohama after learning of the incident.