Yomiuri Shinbun on TEPCO's Video: "They Even Blurred the Face of President Shimizu"

I was amused to read that even Yomiuri Shinbun - pro-nuke and pro-government - is indignant at TEPCO's censoring of the video of the teleconferencing in the first 5 days of the accident.

I was further amused that Yomiuri, of all newspapers, accused TEPCO of its negative attitude toward information disclosure.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (8/7/2012):

緊迫場面修正だらけ…東電、社長の顔までぼかす

Tense moments full of modifications... TEPCO even blurred the face of the president

東京電力は６日、福島第一原発事故直後、本店や現場をつないだテレビ会議の録画記録をようやく公開した。

On August 6, TEPCO finally released the video recording of the teleconference between the headquarters and the plant right after the start of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident.

だが映像や音声は不鮮明で、ぼかしが多く、公開された記録も全体の一部にとどまるなど、同社の後ろ向きな姿勢を感じさせた。

However, the images and sounds were not clear, with many blurs. Only part of the recording was made public, indicating the negative attitude of the company toward information disclosure.

記録は計１５０時間分で、東電によると、このうち音声１６６５か所、画像２９か所で処理が施されている。同社は「社員個人のプライバシーを守るためで、意図的ではない」としている。

The recording is 150-hour long, and according to TEPCO 1,665 voices and 29 images have been modified. The company says it is to protect the privacy of individual employees and there is no other intention.

しかし、清水正孝社長（当時、以下同じ）の顔さえ判別できないぼかしもあり、表情が読み取れない場面もある。音声も随所で「ピー音」が入ったり、途切れたりしている。

However, blurring is such that we can't even discern the face of then-President Masataka Shimizu, and we cannot see the facial expressions in others. Voices are often interrupted with beeping sound or muted.

画面は６分割されている。本店や第一原発などをつないでテレビ会議が行われていたためで、画質はもともと粗い。だが、映像会社の技術者は「１号機の海水注入を巡る場面で、第一原発の吉田昌郎所長が両手でバツ印を出す場面があるが、手の部分だけが不鮮明だ」として、必要以上に加工しているのではないかと疑いの目を向ける。

The screen is divided into 6 smaller screens. It was a teleconference between the headquarters and Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and other locations, so the image quality is not that great to begin with. However, an engineer at an audio-visual company suspects TEPCO may have modified the footage more than necessary. For an example, he says, "About the seawater injection, Plant Manager Masao Yoshio made a cross with his hands [indicating "no go"] in one scene. But only his hands are blurred [and look unnatural].

そもそもテレビ会議の記録の公開は、報道機関が事故直後から求めてきた。東電は「社員のプライバシー」を理由に拒否。今年６月２７日に就任した新経営陣の判断で公開が決まった。しかし、〈１〉録音・撮影禁止〈２〉役員を除く社員の個人名は報道しない――などの条件を付け、違反すれば映像視聴、東電の記者会見への参加は禁止するとした。

The press have demanded the public disclosure of the recordings of the teleconference since the start of the accident. TEPCO has declined the request due to "employees' privacy". The disclosure was finally decided by the new management who was installed on June 27 this year [at TEPCO's shareholders' meeting]. However, TEPCO's conditions for disclosure include (1) No recording of sound or images allowed; (2) No reporting of names of TEPCO's employees other than the top management, and the company says it will prohibit the violators from further viewing the recording and attending TEPCO's press conference.

しかも、当初は、視聴期間は５日間とし、生の映像を視聴できる記者を１社１人に限定した。枝野経済産業相が改善を指示して、約１か月にのびた。

On top of these stipulations, the company initially said the viewing would be only for 5 days, and that only one reporter per news organization would be allowed to view the raw footage. Thanks to the instruction from Mr. Edano, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, TEPCO extended the period to about one month.

日本新聞協会は東電に対して無修整で全面公開するよう申し入れたが、公開映像は実質５日分にとどまった。情報公開に後ろ向きなこうした姿勢は、公開された記録の中にもあった。

Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association requested that TEPCO disclose the entire footage without modification, but only 5-day worth of footage has been made public. TEPCO's negative attitude toward information disclosure is also reflected in the footage that has been publicly disclosed.

３号機の水素爆発の可能性が指摘される中、勝俣恒久会長が東電幹部との電話で、「国民を騒がせるのがいいのかどうかの判断だけど。次の記者会見でそれ（水素爆発）を聞かれたら、否定するよ、やっぱりあり得ないと」と語っている。

When [experts] were pointing to the possible hydrogen explosion of Reactor 3 [i.e. before Reactor 3 exploded], then-Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata is heard on the phone with TEPCO's senior management, "It is a judgement call whether it is OK to disturb citizens. If I'm asked about it (possibility of hydrogen explosion) in the next press conference, I will deny it, and say it is not possible."

Well, I don't quite agree with Yomiuri's assessment (Yomiuri, of all newspapers) that Mr. Katsumata's comment means TEPCO was trying to hide. At that time, it might have caused panic, although it may have been no big deal after the explosion of Reactor 1. What was more criminal was what the national government did after the explosion of Reactor 3 on March 14, and the explosion of Reactor 4 on March 15. They did nothing. They didn't warn residents in the surrounding areas beyond saying "it may be better to stay indoors just in case", they didn't warn residents at all in the wider areas in Tohoku and Kanto where the radioactive plume went.

Unlike officials in Contra Costa County in California who warned the residents on what to do to protect themselves from the toxic fume from the Chevron refinery accident, the Japanese government did nothing. It could have said exactly the same thing as the Contra Costa County officials said:

Don't be outside, go indoors, close doors and windows, shut down air conditioners, and seal doors and windows with tapes or wet towel.

Instead, the Prime Minister's Office (under Naoto Kan) issued a vague, cryptic announcement on March 20, 2011, telling citizens that it might be better not to get wet in the rain, but if you did get wet, no big deal. "There is no effect on health", the announcement says. The phrase sounds painfully familiar now.

If you're interested in viewing the video(s) publicly disclosed (about one hour and 30 minutes), here are the links:

TEPCO:　(Oh wait, now they allow download... I will download it (665MB).) http://photo.tepco.co.jp/en/date/2012/201208-e/120806-02e.html
Nikkei Shinbun: http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG0401X_W2A800C1000000/?dg=1
Sankei Shinbun (Youtube channel): http://www.youtube.com/user/SankeiNews?feature=watch

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