Tanker capsizes off Japan, with seven crew missing

The island is just off the southwestern end of Japan's Honshu main island, about 1000km from Tokyo.

The ship later completely capsized, the coast guard said.

Footage on NHK television showed the ship completely upside down, a rough sea washing over its red underside.

The conditions of the rescued crew members were immediately not known.

NHK television reported the crew included a Chinese national, two South Koreans and eight Indonesians.

No other details, including how the ship capsized, were immediately known.