Officials vague on rumor Japanese support was refused for S Korean ferry

[Lurks Often]

1. There were simpler reasons to decline the aid of the Japanese

There were plenty of assets already present, so it's unlikely another plane, helicopter or ship would have made a difference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_South_Korean_ferry_capsizing#Rescue_operations

Unless there was a Japanese vessel already in the area, the closest possible base the Japanese could have responded from would have been the airport on the island Tsushima, roughly 200 miles away, probably about 90 minutes flying time for a helicopter, at which point anybody in the water would have already succumbed to hypothermia. That's presuming there were even air/sea rescue assets available at Tsushima.