A large North Korean fishing vessel collided with a Japanese Fisheries Agency patrol boat on Monday in the Sea of Japan.
Japan's Coast Guard has said that it was notified of the collision on at around 9.10 a.m., public broadcaster NHK reported.
It said the patrol ship 'Ookuni' and the North Korean boat had collided about 350 km northwest of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.
The North Korean vessel was reportedly waterlogged and about 20 crew members were thrown into the sea. The patrol boat has taken them onboard.
The Coast Guard said it has sent a patrol boat and other vessels to the site to investigate.
It said the collision occurred inside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone in one of the country's best fishing grounds, Yamatotai.
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