The Tepco fuzzy world
Notorious Masataka SHIMIZU ex-Tepco president
National Diet of Japan, my brief comments on Tepco and the 19 meetings of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC)【国会事故調】
After hearing ex-Tepco president Shimizu at the Diet investigation panel, Shimizu was in charge of the Fukushima Dai I nuclear power plant, I simply would say that he is an example of what Japan produced the worst as servile protector of his business, his bureaucratic career and his Japan nuclear village, Shimizu stated in front of the panel and the audience, that he did not remember much of what he did during the March 2011 days of international emergency! How awkward.
I have to say a few things about the Japanese press and the Fukushima Diet Naiic investigation panel and first impression is that actually this panel has a method and it is a first for such panel to investigate, and it is hard. The witnesses (Kan, Edano, Shimizu, Sato etc.) are not under oath as this was not decided by Parliament. They do not have this practice they say according to Dr. Kurokawa. The project is here to let Japanese and foreign public to draw their own conclusions on what happened during this Fukushima accident and since March 11. So the panel seems to exist as a tool that is set between, say, a Congress investigation and the South African reconciliation process, but it is still vague.
Maybe it fails of not having a possibility to bring the result of testimonies in front of the Justice. This would eventually happen as people have sued Tepco already. Indeed we are here in Japan in a democracy with strict separation of powers Executive Legislative and Justice in what I observed in the practice of these three powers.
The second thing I observed during these 19 meetings and hearings of the Diet Fukushima investigation is the great work or Mr. Nomura who was in charge of asking questions to witnesses (as a Prosecutor could do), Nomura-san is a quiet, remarkable in the method, the logic and the grilling of a person testifying, impressive.
Last comment is about the Japanese media. Japanese reporters ask very tough questions during press conferences opened to all journalists from all around the world, especially the Japanese free lance journalists (many have a regular basis collaboration with media actually) but the sad thing is that the Japanese big media (5 big TV and in particular the 5 big newspapers group: 朝、毎、読、日経、産経 ) do not publish all they reported and were told. Why?
Last but not least, as my fellow colleague from Reuters newswire (ex Bloomberg) Aaron Sheldrick writes: "... in a sign of the close ties that bind corporate Japan, Shimizu will later this month become an outside board member of Fuji Oil Co., which is owned by AOC Holdings Inc., a firm in which Tepco has an 8.7 percent stake." Is Japan rewarding those who ruin and bring shame on the nation? 日本は、国を破滅させ国家の恥を晒す人たちに報いるのですか？
Great piece Joel-san
ReplyDeleteJapan is not a meritocracy or at least not primarily so. We know there are people who are capable of doing what needs to be done and very well in fact. We also know that they are brave and selfless enough to do it regardless whether they will ever be rewarded or even acknowledged or not. We know that "leadership" is consistently parceled out on vast, if thankfully not exclusive, basis to a class of mediocrities whose entire existence seems to have been devoted to entering the right schools, having the right friends, the right sentiments, and the right cooperative attitude in a pinch. These individuals understandably prefer not to preside over disasters in regard to which they can do little except make them worse. But when that does happen, as with Tepco, and they do nothing or when the only things they do are things designed to defect attention away from any responsibility, often to the peril of others, the firmly ensconced legions of men or perhaps I should say fellow mediocrities who went to school with them and are essentially the same as them band together and make sure that, after a suitable period, they get what they felt all along was their due. I have seen other people's careers, in some cases those who saved all from the worst disaster, sacrificed to protect these people. Is it any wonder then that so many of the culprits at Olympus have been quietly invited back into the company through the back door in the face of public anger and shame at the disclosure of their unspeakable and willing mendacity? I once belonged to an organization here in Japan where the treasurer allowed organizational funds to be disbursed like dime candy sans reporting to at least one sweetheart contractor so that that contractor was double and triple paid for work done. The least little degree of competence on is part would have been enough to catch it and put a stop to it if indeed it was lack of competence that allowed things to proceed thus. In France and a few other places I can think of, he would be dismissed and shamed at best and imprisoned at worst. Here in Japan, a few intrepid members of the organization reacted and tried to make known what he had done but the latter was largely indifferent or uncomfortable about getting involved. When the man's term ended, his replacement said without a touch of guile or cynicism to the membership: "You may be reassured to know that X, our experienced outgoing Treasurer, has agreed serve on the [financial] committee in the coming year" Incidentally lest one misunderstand and think that I think this is a malady of the Japanese alone, the man who made that statement was not Japanese. But when one lives in Rome too long one often begins to go the forum, speak latin and wear a toga I suppose. One truly need not look very far here in Japan to find this sort of thing. And I would add that it only makes the exquisite and tragic sacrifices of those small anonymous men and women who actually hold Japan together and make it what it is, all the more poignant. The only thing that makes this behavior remarkable in the case of Tepco, however, is the vast scale of the damage, the nakedness of the cynicism and venality of those who require the rest of us to overlook it, and the sad resignation of the many who finally choose to do so. C'est la vie. Best Regards
ReplyDeleteGrady Loy
Japan is not a meritocracy or at least not primarily so. We know there are people who are capable of doing what needs to be done and very well in fact. We also know that they are brave and selfless enough to do it regardless whether they will ever be rewarded or even acknowledged or not. We know that "leadership" is consistently parceled out on vast, if thankfully not exclusive, basis to a class of mediocrities whose entire existence seems to have been devoted to entering the right schools, having the right friends, the right sentiments, and the right cooperative attitude in a pinch. These individuals understandably prefer not to preside over disasters in regard to which they can do little except make them worse. But when that does happen, as with Tepco, and they do nothing or when the only things they do are things designed to defect attention away from any responsibility, often to the peril of others, the firmly ensconced legions of men or perhaps I should say fellow mediocrities who went to school with them and are essentially the same as them band together and make sure that, after a suitable period, they get what they felt all along was their due. I have seen other people's careers, in some cases those who saved all from the worst disaster, sacrificed to protect these people. Is it any wonder then that so many of the culprits at Olympus have been quietly invited back into the company through the back door in the face of public anger and shame at the disclosure of their unspeakable and willing mendacity? I once belonged to an organization here in Japan where the treasurer allowed organizational funds to be disbursed like dime candy sans reporting to at least one sweetheart contractor so that that contractor was double and triple paid for work done. The least little degree of competence on is part would have been enough to catch it and put a stop to it if indeed it was lack of competence that allowed things to proceed thus. In France and a few other places I can think of, he would be dismissed and shamed at best and imprisoned at worst. Here in Japan, a few intrepid members of the organization reacted and tried to make known what he had done but the latter was largely indifferent or uncomfortable about getting involved. When the man's term ended, his replacement said without a touch of guile or cynicism to the membership: "You may be reassured to know that X, our experienced outgoing Treasurer, has agreed serve on the [financial] committee in the coming year" Incidentally lest one misunderstand and think that I think this is a malady of the Japanese alone, the man who made that statement was not Japanese. But when one lives in Rome too long one often begins to go the forum, speak latin and wear a toga I suppose. One truly need not look very far here in Japan to find this sort of thing. And I would add that it only makes the exquisite and tragic sacrifices of those small anonymous men and women who actually hold Japan together and make it what it is, all the more poignant. The only thing that makes this behavior remarkable in the case of Tepco, however, is the vast scale of the damage, the nakedness of the cynicism and venality of those who require the rest of us to overlook it, and the sad resignation of the many who finally choose to do so. C'est la vie. Best Regards
ReplyDeleteGrady Loy
Thank you Grady for your description of the Japanese psyche. Let me add that the panel investigating the Fukushima nuclear disaster will release a full report later in June.
ReplyDeleteFor the time being, regarding the 6 conclusions voiced by Dr Kurokawa and Shuya Nomura of the parliamentary panel, I noticed, roughly translated, the 6th point of the commission: "Emphasis on avoiding responsibility, and not to protect the people." Press reports seem a little bit fast in putting all blame on Naoto Kan rather than on Tepco and nuclear industries and related authorities.
Division, for sure, the panel is said to have had lots of disagreements, especially coming from on third of members of the panel, scientist especially. For critics, this Diet panel is regarded as being pro LDP (the Parliament conservative opposition) according to Japanese journalists covering the 6 months of hearings.
Nevertheless, the panel did a very precise and important work but is seen as hesitating on some crucial issues such as for instance giving exact conclusion on what provoked the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, the earthquake or the tsunami? Also, the 3/11 earthquake seems to have been proving a larger role in the catastrophe than the tsunami, option that certainly divided the nuclear village, observers say.
Therefore I trust the report to be published will be worth reading in details. Necessary also is to interview for future records all of the members (10) of the investigating panel. Let's hope that all data shown during the hearings will all be on the Internet page of Naiic.
http://www.naiic.jp/en/