Asahi's Weekly Magazine Apologizes (Sort of) for Spreading "Baseless Rumors" on Water in Koriyama City, Fukushima

After one year of spreading the "radiation is no big deal" meme to the general public in Japan, one MSM in Japan (Asahi) is caught by another MSM (Yomiuri) for spreading the "drinking water is highly contaminated" meme which has mostly died down even in the alternative, "sensational" net media.

They are behind the curve.

From the triumphant Yomiuri Shinbun (4/12/2012):

福島県郡山市が、「週刊朝日臨時増刊　朝日ジャーナル」（３月９日発売）の記事について、「水道水から放射性セシウムが検出されたと誤解を与える恐れがある」などとして、週刊朝日を出版する朝日新聞出版（東京都）に文書で抗議していたことが１２日わかった。

It was revealed on April 12 that Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture had sent a letter to Asahi Shinbun Publishing (Tokyo) protesting the article that appeared on the weekly magazine "Shukan Asahi Extra - Asahi Journal" March 9, 2012 issue as "misleading, as if radioactive materials had been detected from the drinking water [in the city]".

　記事は同社独自の調査を基に、郡山市の水道水から１キロあたり９５ベクレル、いわき市の水道水から同４８ベクレルの放射性セシウムが検出されたなどとする内容だった。郡山市は、昨年３月の原発事故後に行った市の検査では、同３月２８日を最後に検出されていないとしており、市水道局が「市民や県外へ避難した人々に不安を与え、風評被害を助長する。取材の意図と経緯を確認し、訂正を求める」として、今年３月２９日、内容証明で抗議文を発送した。

The article, based on the magazine's own investigation, says 95 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from the drinking water in Koriyama City, and 48 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium from the drinking water in Iwaki City. The Koriyama City government says no radioactive cesium has been detected since March 28, 2011 according to the city's tests. The city's water department sent the letter of protest on March 29, 2012 by certified mail, asking for clarification of the intent of the report and how the reporting was done, and demanding correction because the article "would cause fear among city's residents and people who evacuated outside Fukushima, and encourage baseless rumors".

　いわき市も同１６日、週刊朝日側に、水を採取した日時、場所などの説明を求める文書を送った。市水道局の検査では昨年４月４日以降は、セシウム以外の物質も含めて、放射性物質は不検出が続いているという。ただ、週刊朝日が後日、水道水について問題ないとの記事を続報の形で掲載したことから、「市民の誤解も起きないと判断した」として抗議などは行っていないという。

Iwaki City also sent a letter on March 16, asking for the details such as the date the water was collected and the location. According to the tests by the city's water department, radioactive materials have been ND (not detected) since April 4, 2011. However, as Asahi later published the follow-up article saying there was no problem with the drinking water, the city decided not to protest, saying that the chance of city residents misunderstanding the Asahi article was slim.

　週刊朝日編集部の話「記事は簡易測定キットを使用して編集部が実際に測定した結果を報じたものだが、郡山市からの意見は真摯(しんし)に受け止めたい」

The Shukan Asahi's editorial department says, "The article reported the result of our actual measurement using the simplified measurement kit. However, we would like to take the opinion from Koriyama City very seriously."

A simplified measurement kit can be attached to a scintillation survey meter to show becquerels of items tested, like this one from Horiba. Asahi used this Horiba's kit, as you can see here.

I don't know how Asahi did the test so I cannot comment. I do know, from the Horiba's pamphlet, that the detection limit is high (100 becquerels/kg for soil testing and 200 becquerels/kg for rice testing in the background of 0.1 microsievert/hour). The system like this may have worked under the provisional 500 Bq/kg limit to screen out the food contaminated with more than 200 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium.

However, the distrust for the official numbers and MSM in Japan is such that some people are totally willing to believe Asahi's numbers measured using the simple add-on kit and the scintillation survey meter from Horiba instead of the official numbers obtained from the germanium semiconductor detector, and they are accusing the cities for "lying".

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