Why the seizure was a maritime-law crisis

The British admiralty court ultimately found fault with the vessel's reporting and charter arrangements. The court fined the owner and awarded money to Japan, showing that British intervention did not require the merchantman to be blameless. Britain nevertheless could not accept Japanese territorial claims over Chinese waters or an impoundment made outside the agreed legal process. The flag therefore guaranteed a hearing under maritime law rather than a predetermined verdict. Japanese naval officers understood the distinction better than the army-backed coast-guard organization that made the seizure.