More on the Japanese Nuclear Crisis

This morning, the situation in Japan at the TEPCO Fukushima plant continues to appear critical to me and perhaps has become much worse.

Officials in Tokyo are actively monitoring radiation levels in the city.

The statements made by government and TEPCO officials are vague, evasive, and at times misleading, a somewhat typical patter of behavior in Japan during times of high stress. For many years I have observed similar behavior on a smaller scale in business. The issue is the use of language and translation from Japanese to English along with a reluctance to clearly state problems and risks.

Even the reporting shows extreme inconsistency. Overall, I think the Wall Street Journal is experiencing problems in assessing the situation. Articles seem to be unorganized with paragraphs being out of order. This is a basic thing.

Essential facts are glossed over.

As an example, the WSJ reports this morning,

"Tepco evacuated some of the workers from the unit as a precaution."

Hayashi, Yuka, Dvorak, Phred, 2011. Japan's nuclear crisis escalates. The Wall Street Journal, Mar. 15.

Yet this is the equivalent from the New York Times,

"According to government statements, most of the 800 workers at the plant had been withdrawn, leaving 50 or so workers in a desperate effort to keep the cores of three stricken reactors cooled with seawater pumped by firefighting equipment, while crews battled to put out the fire at the No. 4 reactor, which they claimed to have done just after noon on Tuesday."

Tabuchi, Hiroko, Sanger, David, E., 2011. Japan faces potential nuclear disaster as radiation levels rise. New York Times, Mar. 15.

With the complexity of the TEPCO Fukushima power plant, I consider the withdrawal of perhaps 94% of the workers a major news story. It is impossible to manage a crisis at a nuclear power plant with a skeleton crew. Of course in respect for human life, Japanese officials must believe there is a high level of danger to evacuate so many.

The crisis is spinning out of control and is unpredictable. I do not think anyone truly knows what will happen. This could go on for awhile. There are many short-term and strategic implications.

I remain deeply concerned for the people that I know in the Tokyo area, and others that I know across Japan.