2011.4.7 Comments on the interview

Someone asked for my opinions on the Swiss interview I introduced below.
Here is my response to her.
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OK, I will try my best.
Recently I read a book on history of Showa era written by Kazutoshi Hando.
On the book, he pointed out that we Japanese have a tendency to close eyes to a great risk and believe that would not happen (because we don't want them to happen).
He is referring to the last war.  Militarists and politicians who led Japan into the war knew there was a great risk of inviting the US into the war if they do not withdraw from China and start invasion to Far East Asian countries.
They knew the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy would immediately increase the friction with the US.   And they knew, once the war started, they have a slim chance to win.
In the end, however, they concluded that would not happen just because if that happened, they would be in a real big trouble.
The same on the Soviet invasion.  Top militarists knew that Soviet is likely to break the antiwar pact and start invasion while Japan had not been able to settle the war front in the south.
But again they concluded this would not happen because they did not want to see it happen. And everybody knows what actually happened.

Now coming back to the topic, many people (except for those who blindly believed what nuclear energy advocates said) knew that nuclear power plant is not entirely safe .
Also some people could have imagined what could be the risks to have nuclear power plant where earthquake causes a major disaster in almost every few decades.
But somehow they concluded this would not going to happen, partly because they trusted on those "multiple fail proof counter measures" but mainly because they did not like to think about it because if it happens we would be in a big trouble.
The same mentality as above mentioned.

Another episode from the same book.
After 2.3million people got killed in the war, the Prime Minister Higashikuni said in his address to the Diet that all the Japanese are to blame.
This remark helped those who were really responsible off the hook. (Many were sentenced to death or given a life at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East but they were done by the Allies of World War II.  Prior to this, Japanese government tried to convene a court by itself so they can give more favorable rulings to the war criminals but this attempt failed.)
Obviously most blame should go to the militarists and politicians who practically led the war.  Yet many people accepted his view.

The Swiss writer pointed out Japanese people does not indulge themselves in finger pointing the responsible or participating the massive protest rallies because they feel discussing the horrible tragedy will get them nowhere.
And this attitude would likely to let go the politicians (namely LDP administrations in the past years) who have led the Japan's nuclear policy and TEPCO where most of the blame  should go to.