Japan's coast guard was trying to locate a livestock carrier reported missing in a storm with 43 crew and 5,800 cattle on board on Wednesday.
The coast guard said it had launched a search operation for the 8,400-dwt Gulf Livestock 1 (built 2002) in the East China Sea.
The ship had sent a distress call in the early hours of Wednesday about 185km west of Amami-Oshima Island.
