"We received a police report that the victims appeared to be three Filipinos and one Indian," the official said.
The three Filipinos were Anatalio Andino, Nestor dela Peña and Estavas del Mundo Jr.
The 36,080-ton Panamanian freighter, with 15 Filipinos and four Indians aboard, ran aground in stormy weather Thursday night some 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) southwest of Osaki, Kagoshima prefecture.
"Fifteen crew members swam ashore and were rescued but we confirmed that the remaining four were drowned by early Friday," the official said.
The accident occurred when Panamanian cargo ship Co-Op Venture took shelter from Typhoon Fengshen, which moved into the East China Sea Friday morning after bringing heavy rain and strong winds to southwestern Japanese areas.
The freighter was carrying corn from New Orleans to Kagoshima. –With Aurea Calica