Japanese officials say they have freed 14 members of the crew of a Chinese trawler that was involved in a collision with two coastguard vessels in disputed waters last week.
But the captain of the trawler remains in custody following the incident, which happened in disputed waters on Tuesday.
Prosecutors have until 19 September to decide whether to lay formal charges against him.
The freed crew members are reported to have flown back on a chartered flight to Fuzhou via Naha in Okinawa.
Japanese officials said the vessel will also be released and sailed back to China by a substitute crew.
The BBC reports the incident sparked a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
The area where the trawler was seized is close to uninhabited islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, which are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan.
