Okada apologizes for gov't not keeping records of nuclear crisis meetings
TOKYO —
Deputy Prime Minister Katsuya Okada on Tuesdsay apologized for the absence of records at meetings of the government’s nuclear disaster task force in the early days of the crisis after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Okada told a news conference that strict accountability is vital for such important issues as emergency response issues when a disaster unfolds, NHK reported.
Okada said he was appalled that the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, which has served as the secretariat for the task force launched on March 11, kept no minutes of the meetings.
He said he will review how other meetings related to the disaster were conducted and whether any records were kept.
Japan Today
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26 Comments
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5
tmarie
Yes, very regrettable that they don't follow protocol on some of the most important meetings Japan has ever had. Step down and let someone else come in and do the job properly.
Notes and video - and let the public in!
6
samwatters
Apology not accepted. All members of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency should be fired and those directly connected to the meeting in question should be given the choice of naming the politicians involved or facing prosecution for reckless endangerment.
5
smithinjapan
You gotta love how these guys get rotated into apologist positions. I'm sure Okada's pretty happy his first major duty in his new appointment is to apologize, yet again, for government mistakes.
Anyway, I'm with samwatters: apology NOT accepted. And thinking a "moushiwake arimasen" is going to make up for lies and corruption is absolute BS.
1
ratpack
Oh in that case...all is good then (said with a sarcastic tone). How about sacking those involved on the spot (to show the japanese people that you are very serious and not just 'kuchi bakari') and getting new people in there that will do the job they are meant to do. Gee how hard is it to keep records????? They keep records at the old girls housie meetings.
2
gogogo
Someone needs to be fired over this
3
Utrack
Judicial Court Hearings Yes, Apology NO.
9
Blair Herron
Under Public Archives management Act, not keeping records of nuclear crisis meetings is a violation of law.
It's hard to believe that there are no records. This is only my suspicion, but someone (I think Edano) hid it because there are a number of things that government doesn't want the public to know what was going on.
Edano had the data of SPEEDI but hid it for 2 months.
Foreign media was excluded from the press conference on 3.11 Friday (Friday is the only day that foreign media is allowed to attend the conference).
On March 12, Koichiro Nakamura (NISA spokesperson) said at the press conference that there is a possibility of "Meltdown". He was replaced by another spokesperson the next day.
On March 30, IAEA advised the government to evacuate all the people in Iidate-mura, but the government ignored it, saying that they had enough data.
On April 4, the government sent IAEA e-mail that TEPCO is going to dump contaminated water to the ocean and tell other countries. TEPCO dumped the water before getting any replies from IAEA.
On March 30, at TEPCO press conference, Katsumata said there is the record of disaster countermeasures office which is shared by the government and METI.
Apology is not enough. Thorough investigation is a must because they are breaking the law.
6
warnerbro
Such meetings involving the entire cabinet would normally be recorded in detail. The government is hiding quite a lot and it is intentional, not accidental. It is a policy to hide even information that might help people protect themselves. For example, the radiation levels across Honshu all the way to Kyoto nearly doubled in a few hours from January 23rd to 24th and neither the government nor TEPCO uttered a word. TEPCO finally announced that this phenomenon was due to, in the words of its NHK publicity agency "radioactive materials around the No. 2 reactor, the surrounding of which is still highly contaminated, were stirred up by a number of workers going in and out of the building." http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120124_10.html They have sprayed the areas "around" he reactors with adhesive so this explanation is dubious. This was after children had spent hours playing in the snow.
0
tokyokawasaki
Shallow & lip service - are the first two phrases that spring to mind after reading this.
2
jforce
Apology not accepted. Your excuses are your own. And since when is there no one taking minutes at a meeting? Junior High student council takes minutes! This is the government... uh boy.
0
Ted Barrera
Screw you and your meaningless apologies! Until I see TEPCO management in jail and some genuinely signifacant progress on the nuclear containment and decontamination effort, your apologies are worthless and verge insulting our intelligence!
0
Ted Barrera
Verge on. iPad typo.
4
zichi
I guess these people really believe, we're has stupid as they are?
We should be asking what information did they hide, and if there was a serious court case, suddenly the missing minutes would be soon found again.
2
Cletus
Hence no minutes being kept. No minutes no accountability. It really does get tiring listening to these useless id1ots getting up and apologizing for their continual mistakes and omissions during this crisis. The only thing that is more maddening is the way the Japanese public bend over and take it and dont make a sound. Any other rational country there would be demands from the public, protests and inquiries. An apology is good but meaningless actions speak louder than words and at the moment the actions of these public servants is that they are hiding quite a lot and really dont care as long as they dont get caught.
0
kwatt
The government didn't keep records because politicians and bureaucrats don't want to be criticized / accused later about a lot of critical mistakes they did over the crisis. This is really understandable but this is really the biggest stupid mistake ever.
2
MaboDofuIsSpicy
Maybe there are no minutes because there were actually no meetings.
0
tmarie
I guess these people really believe, we're has stupid as they are? Sadly, the voting public here does seem to be that stupid. How else can you explain the corruption and lack of substance in the Japanese government. Heads would be rolling in other nations at the sheer incompetency of the government since 3/11, let alone the last 20 years. Japan? "Oh well he said he was sorry, carry on..."
2
Alistair Carnell
A total farce !
"Carry on government".
3
NetNinja
You guys seem upset. I'm not losing my hair over this. You already know / knew this kind of stuff is coming. There's more to come. Why don't we meet at the government building? Have ourselves a little confab in front of their Mercedes Benzs and BMWs. I don't want to walk around the block. Too cold outside. Lets go in the building and get warm. How about that?
2
Elvensilvan
Lately, there seems to be a lot of public
It would seem that the government and several private companies are very well versed in mismanagement procedures ... I wonder if this is taught in political circles, or if they have a formal learning center.
-8
just-a-bigguy
With or without those documents doesnt matter, that made no differences! The Japanese govt serving the interest of US instead her own people! Good job !!!
3
shanabelle
All the technology known to man in this country...but nothing to record with....
3
NetNinja
Hehehehe shanabelle......that's right. Not one mcrophone , video camera....nothing.
1
cactusJack
Bow 35 degrees and the case is closed! Love this country.
-1
herefornow
PLEASE "strict accountability" does not exist in Japan. Not taking responsibility for anything as an individual, and passing the buck when needed is part of the social fabric there. Group decisions make everyone responsible so no one can get balmed or disciplined accordingly.
1
PT24881
For a country that has established a unshaken reputation by executing everything in fine details, admittedly some embarrassing details to be buried in purpose ?
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