Japan nuclear probe head defends report
The head of a major investigation into Japan’s nuclear disaster is defending his report against criticism that his panel avoided blaming individuals and instead blamed elements of the nation’s culture.
Kiyoshi Kurokawa, who headed the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission said he was sticking with his view that the catastrophe was “made in Japan.”
The report highlighted collusion among nuclear regulators and industry that set off the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.
The commission is under criticism for not naming individuals, and for statements in the English version of the report that it did not make in the Japanese version.
The English-language version of the report blamed what it called “ingrained conventions of Japanese culture,” including “reflexive obedience” and a “reluctance to question authority.”
