"The disaster "could and should have been foreseen and prevented" and its effects "mitigated by a more effective human response"...It also blamed cultural conventions and a reluctance to question authority."
7/5/12, "Japan panel: Fukushima nuclear disaster 'man-made'," BBC
"The crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant was "a profoundly man-made disaster", a Japanese parliamentary panel has said in a report.
The disaster "could and should have been foreseen and prevented" and its effects "mitigated by a more effective human response", it said.
The report catalogued serious deficiencies in both the government and plant operator Tepco's response.
It also blamed cultural conventions and a reluctance to question authority.
The six-reactor Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was badly damaged after the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems to reactors, leading to meltdowns and the release of radioactivity.
Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated from an exclusion zone around the plant as workers battled to bring reactors under control.
Japan's parliament established the panel in May 2011 to examine the handling of the crisis and make recommendations.
In the panel's final report, its chairman said a multitude of errors and wilful negligence had left the plant unprepared for the earthquake and tsunami."Although triggered by these cataclysmic events, the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant cannot be regarded as a natural disaster," it said.
"It was a profoundly man-made disaster - that could and should have been foreseen and prevented.""
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Suppression of dissent lead to disaster in Japan:
7/5/12, From, "The Official Report of the Fukushima NAIIC,"
scroll down: "6. NAIIC 9 Message from the Chairman THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI of March 11, 2011 were natural disasters of a magnitude that shocked the entire world. Although triggered by these cataclysmic events, the subse- quent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant cannot be regarded as a natural disaster. It was a profoundly manmade disaster – that could and should have been foreseen and prevented. And its effects could have been mitigated by a more effective human response. How could such an accident occur in Japan, a nation that takes such great pride in its global reputation for excellence in engineering and technology? This Commission believes the Japanese people – and the global community – deserve a full, honest and transparent answer to this question. Our report catalogues a multitude of errors and willful negligence that left the Fukushima plant unprepared for the events of March 11. And it examines serious deficiencies in the response to the accident by TEPCO, regulators and the government. For all the extensive detail it provides, what this report cannot fully convey – especially to a global audience – is the mindset that supported the negligence behind this disaster. What must be admitted – very painfully – is that this was a disaster “Made in Japan.” Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to ‘sticking with the program’; our groupism; and our insularity."...
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7/5/12, "Independent Commission Releases Report on Fukushima Meltdown, Blames Japanese Culture," Time Magazine, Ecocentric
"The problem isn’t just with Tepco or one prime minister, but with the way Japan itself is run—the suppression of dissent in favor of group harmony, no matter the cost."
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