Twelve Chinese people were missing after their fishing boat collided with an oil tanker in waters near Japan, a Chinese diplomat said.
An official at the Chinese consulate-general in Osaka said 16 crew members were aboard the Chinese fishing boat when it capsized after colliding with the Hong Kong-registered tanker.
Four were rescued while the others remained missing.
The collision occurred on Thursday 250 miles north of the Oki Islands in western Japan.
The Chinese consulate has activated an emergency plan and Japanese authorities have dispatched three rescue ships.