Transparency in Troubling Times

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I swear this is the last time I’m going to write about this for Asian Studies since I’m going to focus my Capstone paper on this from here on out. But it is essential to analyze how an industrialized and advanced nation such as Japan can have such a direct hand in the cover-up and poor maintenance of the Coronavirus epidemic striking their country. Similar to their administration style during the Fukushima nuclear fallout, the Japanese government is staying tight-lipped regarding the hard facts on the ground in terms of positive cases and people tested to maintain a low number of reported cases. While this may paint Japan as having record low cases of COVID-19 within their country, these numbers are false as the Japanese government only allows for people with serious symptoms to be tested and receive treatment for the virus. It is also CRUCIAL to understand that Japan sees the coronavirus epidemic as an economic issue, not a global health pandemic that will sooner rather than later cripple their country. Japan would rather focus AI tech on saving international face than trying to get an accurate reading on the number of people infected with the Rona in their country. The fact that Japan is manipulating numbers in coronavirus cases parallels the LDP’s handling of the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima almost ten years ago. The mismanagement, misinformation, and poor communication regarding the decontamination work of the nuclear power plant has left thousands of citizens displaced and thousands of workers vulnerable to radiation sickness. What is another striking parallel is that while Japan is obviously testing low numbers of people to keep their reported cases low, they have only reported ONE death from radiation sickness from the decontamination work done in the Fukushima prefecture. If Japan has no problem faking their numbers for international prestige on this very day, it is not hard to assume that they are covering up a significant amount of data and deaths from the Fukushima fallout while trying to consistently assert their national prestige on an international stage. Time’s up Japan, the world is watching.

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