Chemical maker Ishihara Sangyo conceals production of poisonous gas

Thursday 15th May, 07:52 AM JST

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paolo27th at 09:36 AM JST - 15th May

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't this the same "shouldn't-exist-in-Japan" stuff that was found in the gyosas?
timorborder at 09:49 AM JST - 15th May

Could somebody please tell me what phosgene would be used for in the current day and age? Furthermore, as one of the most infamous chemical agents used in WW1, isn't its production banned under international treaties?
sarcasm123 at 09:55 AM JST - 15th May

No scandals are found => the JT public complains that they are not looked for. Scandals are found => the JT public complains that only Japan has scandals.

Keep on the good work, jerseyboy.
spotehun at 10:13 AM JST - 15th May

Each time there is some bad news in Japan, some people come and jump: wow, these news come every week! Wow! This country isn't good at all! Wowowowow!!

Go home, bye bye.

timorborder: The great majority of phosgene is used in the production of isocyanates, the most important being toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). These isocyanates are precursors to polyurethanes. Significant amounts are also used in the production of polycarbonates via its reaction with bisphenol A.[1] Polycarbonates are an important class of engineering thermoplastic found, for example, in lenses in eye glasses.

Internet works wonders. Search before asking, don't be lazy.
medievaltimes at 10:19 AM JST - 15th May

Jerseyboy pretty much nailed it. I have found that the image one projects in Japan is much more important than what is actually going on.

Accounting in Japan is pretty laughable. Bribes and bid rigging are seen as needed. Losing face is often confused with correcting a problem.
DenshaDeGO at 11:13 AM JST - 15th May

Here we go again, business as usual. What's going to happen to the company? Probably nothing, as usual.
capone at 12:51 PM JST - 15th May

so if it's a secret how did JT, the pinnacle of japanese news reporting, get hold of it ?
rtrhead1 at 02:46 PM JST - 15th May

I don't think that it is so much that he is saying they do or don't happen, what I see him implying is that he (we, I and many others) are tired of many of the Japanese companies, and the Japanese gov't tell the world that they are much more ethical and honest with everyone than American, or any other foreign companies or that they are more "unique". In reality, they are just as shady and dishonest as any other large corporation...
jerseyboy at 04:53 PM JST - 15th May

rtrhead1...Correct. All I was saying is that I am tired of having folks here rail on things like Enron -- which, by the way: happened several years ago, ended up in stiff prison sentences for those involved, and led to immediate corrective legislation -- as a sign of how profit-driven companies and their employees have no ethics, but, J-companies are so wonderful. Meanwhile, as others have stated, this company, which knowingly endangered people's lives by producing poison without permission, will get off with a press conference and a bullsh*t apology. spotehun, misses the point entirely. Lack of ethics is just as prominent here as anywhere, so why go home? It is just driven by different motives. Elsewhere employees might do unethical things for reasons of pure greed, I'll accept that. But, here, they do it because they are so slavingly devoted to Japan Inc., their company, and their bucho, that they lose their moral compass. One isn't worse than the other. So, please Japan fans, as others have stated, lose this moral self-righteouness. The facts don't support it.
notimpressed at 06:22 PM JST - 15th May

yes, jerseyboy, japanfans such as sarcasm123 just happen to believe that "we are a unique and beautiful flower" crap, while the rest of us see that japan is just as bad as anywhere else, but with its own unique/bizzare twist on it. In many cases far its more disturbing, case in point: Minamata.

Japans big problem is they got it backwards with the whole tattemae/Honne thing. The 'face' you show to world isn't nearly as important as the reality. If your reality is good, then you would have nothing to save face from. If the company thinks that everyone would disapprove of what it is doing..well maybe they shouldn't do it!! Its a rare secret that is without negative connetations, everywhere, not just in unique ol' Japan.
1keiron at 07:17 PM JST - 15th May

No scandals are found => the JT public complains that they are not looked for. Scandals are found => the JT public complains that only Japan has scandals.

+1 So true. Pretty much emphasised by the posts above where people are now spitting their dummies out in response. I dont think its anything to be concerned about. The ratio of daily JT reader negativity to real life Japanese optimism is hardly measurable. The above poster mentioned that "Japan is just as bad as everywhere else with its own unique/bizzare twist on it!. I totally agree with that. Other countries are so big and full of so much dark stuff that half of it just doesnt get reported (can you imagine if everything was!). Yet with Japan it seems everything is in the news so people have no excuse to paint this black cloud over their heads..pretty much like on JT. I doubt anything will happen to the company in short time. Got enough problems as it is with people killing themselves with poisoness gas and wiping out everybody in vincinity!
GrouchyGaijin at 09:31 PM JST - 15th May

Deny! Deny! Deny!= Japan.
zaichik at 07:07 AM JST - 16th May

The company said it produced about 170 tons of phosgene from February 2005 to October 2006 without reporting to the state, thinking it would be difficult to obtain approval from local residents.

Well, that makes it alright then!

In many cases far its more disturbing, case in point: Minamata.

In fact, you don't even have to leave Yokkaichi to find one of Japan's most serious/infamous industrial pollution cases. It was the phenomenon of Yokkaichi asthma in the 1960s that eventually led to the implementation of air quality controls in Japan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YokkaichiAsthma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FourBigPollutionDiseasesofJapan
lipscombe at 09:29 AM JST - 16th May

Each time there is some bad news in Japan, some people come and jump: wow, these news come every week! Wow! This country isn't good at all! Wowowowow!!

Go home, bye bye. Internet works wonders. Search before asking, don't be lazy.

hahaha, true, just used internet to see all your previous postings. all as equally arrogant and contradictory as the one above
sarcasm123 at 10:40 AM JST - 19th May

"yes, jerseyboy, japanfans such as sarcasm123 just happen to believe that "we are a unique and beautiful flower" crap, while the rest of us see that japan is just as bad as anywhere else, but ..."

but... still pretend that it is only happening in Japan?

Was that how you wanted to finish that sentence?