This is the sort of thing I’m talking about. The reflexive ass-covering motion of any organization is not very actively resisted in Japan, as it threatens “harmony”.
A prefectural official told Radishbo-ya Co., after the retailer made a query to the local government Monday, not to disclose the finding for a while on fears that the message could cause unwarranted harm to Shizuoka tea growers, adding that the prefecture would confirm it on its own, the firm said.
via Retailer told to stay mum about radiation level in tea | Kyodo News.
Look at how flimsy the justification for the requested silence is. This is the approach of an organization whose pro forma justification are typically accepted–no real effort required, nothing unusual about being asked to delay findings of a hazard to public health.
Now I am not saying that this is by nature a Japanese problem, or that it is inescapable. Other countries and cultures have issues with this including my own, and as the story says, the company in question defied the Prefecture’s request and notified customers anyway. I am heartened by the actions of Radishbo-ya.
But to the extent that “harmony” is prized here, there is a converse effect on things which threaten harmony, such as telling unpleasant truths, even in public, even about friends.
And I say it’s a poor trade.
That said, the radioactivity reported is from Cesium, which the report (unclear just whose report, but apparently not the prefecture’s) said was at 679 bcql/kg. The legal limit is 500, and Shizuoka tea is normally reported to be 460. So while the new findings are indisputably over the limit, they are not so alarming in context, as the tea is usually at 92% of the legal limit, and is now at 147%. This is far less than double the normal level.
