Story highlights 104 so-called "ghost ships" arrived on Japan shores in 2017

It's believed hunger and desperation are driving crews further out to sea

Tokyo (CNN) Another ship bearing grim cargo has washed up on the shores of western Japan.

Police discovered a wooden ship carrying the corpses of seven men on a beach in Ishikawa prefecture last week.

Inside the boat they also found a badge with the likenesses of North Korean leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, along with a cigarette box with Korean letters, officials said.

Last year, 104 so-called "ghost ships" were recorded , officials said, many with the corpses of their former crews on board.

The ship found in Ishikawa was the first in 2018 found carrying dead bodies, though eight other vessels have also washed up.

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