Data cheating worries spread to Tokyo Skytree, Olympic buildings

Wow. You have to wonder how these people slept well at night knowing that they were potentially putting people's lives at risk. It's unthinkable to me.

They need to start sending people to prison for this kind of thing.

It’s an absolute scandal that once again puts thousands of lives at risk.

Although the infrastructure ministry said there was no risk that the affected buildings could collapse, even if they are hit by a quake at the top of Japan's seismic intensity scale,

Yeah very reassuring.

So we have a country with an image of great quality. Enforced due to employees working hard and long hours well into the night, yet in the end nothing was achieved because they needed to falsify data. Another reason why overtime in Japan has no meaning.

maybe I misunderstand something, but this is the company that produces specifically shock absorbers., which is the core of tall building surviving an earthquake ... how then this statement is true "infrastructure ministry said there was no risk that the affected buildings could collapse, even if they are hit by a quake at the top of Japan's seismic intensity scale"

if no need for these devices to sustain earthquake , then what are they needed for in the first place?

Well, this changes things. The word is now out that if a massive quake hits while you're in or around SkyTree, you cannot have faith that it is safe, simply cause a government that insisted it was BEFORE knowing this says "Trust me" once again now that it is proven the company lied about defective products. And with SkyTree being something the government likes to tout to overseas travellers and as a symbol of Japan and its growth, it sounds less appealing when you take into account said growth is defective, and the symbol of Japan is defect. Perhaps, for that alone, we may actually see some real punishment for these greedy people.

@papigiulio

Absolutely. It’s ridiculous isn’t it.

Its just yet another example of what I call ‘fake Japan’ (that for some reason is always modded out). On the surface everything is great, but scratch a little below and things are very different.

Im sure there’ll be another example in tomorrow’s news.

maybe I misunderstand something, but this is the company that produces specifically shock absorbers., which is the core of tall building surviving an earthquake ... how then this statement is true "infrastructure ministry said there was no risk that the affected buildings could collapse, even if they are hit by a quake at the top of Japan's seismic intensity scale"

Likely because that even though they falsified some data it doesnt necessarily mean the anti-shake systems are inherently dangerous, or that they even failed the required standards testing. It could very well be that they just inflated the numbers on the percentage of how well it cut down on shaking. Instead of the tested 65% reduction they could say its 70% reduction and that would still be considered falsifying data.

I dont think a lot of people realize that quite honestly every company that has over 1000 employees anywhere in the world does this exact same thing. You're idea of safety and quality is an illusion regardless of the product/industry/etc. Take diesel-gate, or the apple throttling-gate for example. All it takes is one bad seed in the quality control area of a company and the whole thing can come falling down pretty quickly.

The reason we're seeing a lot of companies specifically come to light lately is because of the federal government response to the steel scandals. In that they're actually doing something about it. If this sort of investigation was to go on in the US and target large manufacturing companies you can bet you'd see a TON more companies falsifying data.

@Alex Einz - ...how then this statement is true...

The same way that government officials had the audacity to insist ‘there has been no meltdown’ in Fukushima after the tsunami, when in fact there had been.

They aren’t going to admit that there is a fundamental problem with the foundations that means the whole thing needs to be taken down. They’d never rebuild it in time for the Olympics.

well thats one tower I am not going up on again...

Well, I see many people very afraid about the quality of the things in Japan here, and many of these users live there. If they don't trust the Country, their lives will be horrible. They should move to a Country where they think companies are never involved in any scandal, and they are sure the quality control is always perfect. Plus, they should protest in the streets, and ask for every government in the world to boycott Japanese products, and to buy the superior Korean, Chinese and American products. They are safe.

They could live in a Country like Denmark, that is known for its quality of life and transparency. Yeah, I know about the huge Danske Bank scandal, that could trigger a financial debacle in the whole EU, but it's Denmark, not for example a Country with a bad reputation like Italy. We can trust Denmark anyway, right?

Okay, maybe a few inspectors lied. They probably got a little money on the side. Perhaps we don't need to worry. ;-) Look what is says on their website: From advanced hydraulic technology to electronics, KYB products support comfort and safety in all industries.

See! You are safe! They do cars, motorcycles, pretty much everything around you. Have a look at their website and you'll start feeling safe again in no time. You can go about your lives as normal.

Bwahahahahahahahaa

@Alex80 you not making much sense, nobody said everything is bad ,but neither is everything peachy... the solution is not sticking head in the sand but forcing to rebuild,repent and dish out punishments that encourage better practices.

Wow, the tourist symbol of its might resting on lies and falsified data. This is huge, both figuratively and physically. But it didn't need to be this way and I am genuinely concerned for building code throughout Japan as well as the upcoming Olympics. It's a rush job so what corners were cut there?

If there was a more investigative news media not constrained by law by the government these crimes may have come to light earlier. This is why it's important to have a free press, to hold power to account

@Alex Einz: Why do you think I am not making any sense? How can you live in a Country where you consider everything fake? There are high quality Countries where you can feel safe. Plus, you should buy only American, Korean and Chinese products, so you can live peacefully, since they are really superior.

@alex80 you still not making any sense...

I thought Trump had started a trade war, only for economic advantages. But I am starting to see why he is right. He wants to protect American consumers by bad quality Japanese products, that are really bad, probably the worst in the market, considering all these scandals. Finally I am able to see why many Americans support Trump, and I changed my mind. Their market had been flooded FOR DECADES with mediocre Japanese products, whose quality is actually worse also than Chinese and Korean goods, and this made Japanese rich, while the Americans were forced to buy Japanese crap. Finally, Japan true face has been exposed, and I can understand why people need to buy American products, or at least, Chinese and Korean. Japan deserves diplomatic isolation, more than North Korea. It cheated the whole world for almost one century with horrible products, despite they looked good.

And no one will go to jail.

Bow.

Move on.

There needs to be a better explanation of just what data was falsified and better reporting about how or if it would matter when the next earthquake hits.

One big quake and Shinjuku's going to collapse like a house of cards.

Right. It's probably no big deal. Except that, as a company involved in products concerning user safety, you NEVER FALSIFY DATA.

LIES!!!!!! Japan makes BEST products (galaxy wide sarcasm)

How many instances of negligence, corruption, fraud and misfeaaance will it take for Japanese people to take to the streets? In the light of Fukushima (on a greater scale) and now this and no doubt other cover ups that affect security and safety yet to be uncovered, should Japan really be holding the Olympic Games? Of course my question is rhetorical - it is going ahead full steam but can Japan guarantee that its Olympic facilities are all earthquake resistant to the highest standards? Few are ever held accountable, and yet the world’s athletes are about to trust their lives to Japanese governance standards. And by the way, are Japanese ambulances fitted with defibrillators yet? Or are they still glorified taxis? I hope that athletes can at least expect fully equipped ambulances when they arrive - that was certainly not the case a few years ago when I lived in Japan. You could be dying in an ambulance waiting for a hospital to receive you, with no-one able to provide life support in the meantime. So much is accepted in Japan. by its wonderful tolerant people who definitely deserve more.

Oh, good grief! It just never ends! How many construction companies have come under fire for falsified data and sub-standard materials and workmanship in recent years. There was another one a few years ago where they had built over 30 condominiums with less steel reinforcement in them. They did it to scam the owners and pocketed the cash. A dozen or so of the condos were deemed unsafe and condemned. What are they gonna do about the Sky Tree? Will it be closed until it is fixed? Can it be fixed or will it be condemned too? The lack of scruples in Japanese companies is absolutely disgusting!

Does anybody remember the Aneha scandal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architectural_forgery_in_Japan

Hey guys, just the fact that Japan Inc is admitting this and not covering it up is progress. I’m sure this happens all over the world in all kinds of places...we are humans after all.

They should replace those parts with South Korean, Chinese, or American parts. There's no point to replace them with parts made by the same company or by other Japanese companies.

日本，a beautiful name by Chinese ancestors 2000 years ago, meaning where the sun rises, may soon has to be renamed, if lies continue to rise.

thepersoniamnow - Hey guys, just the fact that Japan Inc is admitting this and not covering it up is progress. I’m sure this happens all over the world in all kinds of places

Oh, bring on the bleeding heart defence! The fact they are admitting to it is only because they are getting caught out. Yeah, it happens all over the world, once or twice a decade, which is very unlike what we are seeing in Japan, a dozen times a year in so many different industries. Finance, politics, motor vehicles, electrical power generation, cosmetics, construction, music, artwork design (Olympic logo) and heavy industry. Oh, and let’s not forget the scientist who falsified data on stem cell research either. Everyone one of these industries has been involved blatant fraud for profit, most multiple times, just in the last four or five years. This does NOT happen all over the world. This large-scale across-the-board fraudulent behavior only happens in Japan and, not one of them has gone to jail!

The solution is easy but yet Japan inc. will not do it because everyone is in bed with each other.

All you need to do is make it unprofitable to lie, companies will only seek to maximize profits.

@Do the hustle: if you try to do a fast Google research about industry scandals, you will be so surprised to discover how many cases of companies misconduct there are around the world every year, and not one or two for Country, way more than this, in any kind of industry.

I could link you an endless list of links, but probably I would be off-topic. Only a bunch of the first results I got, related to ongoing scandals in the UK (I chose a random Country):

NHS waste scandal

Patissiere Holdings scandal

Contaminated blood scandal

a series of scandals in the auditing business, including the collapse of BHS and the construction Group Carillion

And so on...Yawn. You can search by yourself, picking a random Country.

"infrastructure ministry said there was no risk that the affected buildings could collapse, even if they are hit by a quake at the top of Japan's seismic intensity scale"

There is ALWAYS a risk! To say there is no risk is to say, I’ve got KYB money in my back pocket.

Just how bad is it ? Falsification of data to understate or overstate adherence to the agreed performance parameters ? Without knowing this, it's hard to make any form of judgement.

Here's how it plays out in Japan:

get caught

fake apologies

bow

fake remorse

forget about it

So we have a country with an image of great quality...

For quite a few years now I have lost confidence in Japanese quality, and have been changing my suppliers to other countries.

Shock absorbers aside, supposing their is a major earthquake in the tokyo / Kanto area, the amount of reconstruction and repair would definitely bankrupt the country. Look how much repair is necessary after the typhoons this year alone, given climate change. The future promises no better. We’re stretched out very thin with more pulling coming. Scandals like this and the many in recent past is going to have a very negative effect on how the world sees Japanese quality. Pity.

@talaraedokko: we are living in an age dominated by corporate scandals everywhere, so I think most of consumers already lost their trust in everything, if it's an American social media, a German or Japanese car, a Danish bank.

Anyway, it's a bit ridiculous when some people think they can boycott some Country's products, indeed because of globalization, every product contein parts from a multitude of different Countries. It's like when someone says "I don't buy Chinese things", despite every single thing contains something Chinese.

For example, we have guys like Ex-Res, who doesn't know that also his Korean electronic goods contein both Japanese and Chinese parts, and he believes "he can change his suppliers to other Countries" completely. It's not so easy in this age. For this reason, I said that people who are complaining, could protest and ask formally to isolate Japan diplomatically, or something. How are they helping their agenda seriously, only complaining on internet?

There needs to be a better explanation of just what data was falsified and better reporting about how or if it would matter when the next earthquake hits

Everyone is blaming the wrong people. Blame the Government of Japan.... they are the one's that let these companies get away with murder because of their "hands off" attitude when it comes to verifying domestic products. They are all over anything made outside of Japan.... but domestic Japanese manufacturers... a nice cozy corporate free pass. Point the finger at your own Government.

Someone needs to broach the topic to Japan that people who commit crimes go to jail.

Btw, the Khoisan look just like the Chinese. Rather, the Chinese look just like the Khoisan.

Read and learn; and there's a lot you don't know. Back to preschool perhaps?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/12/stone-tools-china-could-be-oldest-evidence-human-life-outside-africa

"Stone tools found in China could be oldest evidence of human life outside Africa"

"If correctly dated, the find means that hominins – the group of humans and our extinct forefather species – left Africa earlier than archaeologists have been able to demonstrate thus far, a team reported in the scientific journal Nature."

Good luck.

Why are no criminal charges being handed out? If there are no consequences for these companies they will continue to do it.

Japanese companies are some of the most greedy companies in the world. They will do, say and lie to anyone as long as they get the job. Sad but true but big business in Japan has no accountability and nobody to answer to.

This is of course terrible, and all the discussion of whether it happens in Japan are irrelevant. Many of us live in Japan, night due in Japan and have children who are Japanese who we want to be proud of Japan..

Ahena scandal, fake onsen, cheating with good products, medical schools manipulating exam results, lying about Unit 731, fake ministers doing weddings, the lies about Fukushima - it’s endless - every where you look there is dishonesty..

And most people know that construction standards aren’t adhered to because of yakuza involvement.

Japanese need to realize that lying and cheating customers, employees and neighbors is wrong. Morally wrong.

Simple.

"Cheating" infers something academic, this was not academic, but a systematic falsification of safety data.

The former typically gets you a slap on the wrist, the latter time in jail.

Me, I am all for the latter!

Japan needs third party, disinterested QC inspectors to conduct systemic inspections. The way these disclosures slip out, usually by accident by people within the company, is very troubling, and suggest there are way, way more infractions taking place.

Japan has critically damaged its reputation for quality with the recurring scandals of fraud.

Clean it up, folks, or lose your exports.