Japan pushes to remove Fukushima references from U.N. exhibition

The ministry, which has supported the confederation's three previous exhibitions, suggested it could withdraw its backing unless the requested changes are made, said Sueichi Kido, the group's secretary general.

Always about the money with Japan! For once I would like to see them argue a point on the merits of the issue.

Fukushima is a part of history, and nuclear proliferation is a worry for the world

Saving face and honour in the eyes of the world for them is more important rather to release the truth and speak about it’s dark points in history in order to improve.

There needs to be a clear differentiation between weapons and the peaceful uses of radioactive material, be they medicine or power generation.

Damage caused by the use of weapons be they nuclear or so called conventional is deliberate. Damage from accidents is just that, the product of an accident and all technologies are open to the fallibility of the human race that uses it. There have been vastly more deaths from motorised vehicle accidents in the last 70 years than nuclear accidents but I do not hear anyone demanding the banning of all motor vehicles. The ill informed reaction of the vast majority to nuclear technology is bluntly irrational.

The Fukushima disaster was man made as much as it was the result of a natural forces. I don't know about you but I lose a lot of respect for Japan when they try to whitewash anything negative about them and their country.

The Japan Solution: Think sweet thoughts and pretend it didn't happen.

Don't bury the truth. Own it.

Prevent similar things from happening in the future.

It's surprising the nuclear village gang don't try to replace those panels with ones showing how nature is now flourishing in the no-go zone. Or there could be panels with Mighty Atom leading the charge for the next oh so green and clean nuclear revolution.

Sorry @englisc aspyrgend, am I also being ignorant and irrational because I think nuclear energy has this little waste disposal issue that won't seem to go away many half-lives from now?

There is something absolutely disgusting about all of the whitewashing.

The sad thing is that the vast majority of Japanese won't know what their government is doing because it won't be widely publicized in Japan,it they did know I am sure they would be just as disgusted as I am with this face saving exercise.

Victimhood rears its ugly head once again. Introspection? Impossible in japan. It's always someone else's fault.

Japan trying to save face. Why does that sound so familiar lately? Mmm...

I think Japan has bigger worries to deal with, namely the coronavirus outbreak.

Once again SHAME on the J-govt!! What an utter disgrace!!!

"Atomic bombs and nuclear accidents are the same in the sense that they cause harm through radiation. As a victim of atomic bombing, Japan has a responsibility to work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons," Kido added.

And three cheers to Kido san & his group, DONT bow down to the BULLYING of your govt!!!

How dare the UN paint Japan in a bad light? Oh, the horror! They keep billing Fukushima as the world's ' second' worst nuclear disaster. However, due to the ongoing costs and challenges it is by far the world's worst nuclear disaster and, the worst could be still to come if there is an accident removing the melted fuel rods. Chernobyl was a very different scenario. It blew all the fuel out of the reactor and all over the countryside due to not being in a containment vessel, thus making the clean up very straight forward by comparison to Fukushima. The Japanese government have been desperately trying to cover up and downplay the severity of the Fukushima meltdowns. It has been leaching highly radioactive water into the ocean and groundwater for nearly a decade and they still have no solid plan on how to remove the melted fuel rods from the destroyed containment vessel. This is without mentioning their intentions to dump the millions of tons of radioactive water stored on the site straight into the ocean. The Fukushima disaster and Japan's mishandling and coverups need to be put on the world stage.

The decision is correct. Freedom of speech does not go as far as to force the government to unconditionally expend taxpayer money to support exhibitions regardless of content or their consequences for Japan.

Japan’s favorite pastime. They spend too much time and effort on trying to restore their honor. I wonder how they will whitewash the cancellation of the Olympics this year.

Big surprise! When it comes to the letters written before kamikaze pilots went on missions of murder they want it classed as UNESCO, but literally THREATEN the UN if they DARE even consider including letters or documents related to Nanjing, or comfort women. Now they want, once again, Japan's supposed victimhood on full display, but Nothing at all that might paint Japanese administration in a negative light, or the nuclear industry. I am only happy that the request is receiving international attention for the cowardice and laughing stock that it is. Please, by all means, let Japan "consider" the exhibition and possibly pull out support if it means keeping Fukushima in, which of course SHOULD be included, along with Chernobyl, as an example of how nuclear power can kill and destroy the environment and is Dangerous. Kick them out, in fact, and make sure to leave, Under the panels about Fukushima, that the Japanese government requested that focus be on Hiroshima and Nagasaki but that they begged and threatened to have references to Fukushima removed.

Cowards.

zichiToday 11:57 am JST

The post does not mention if the government support includes money or its just an endorsement of the exhibition.

Doesn't change the basic principle. Freedom of speech as a negative right means the government cannot impose negative consequences for your speech (especially imprisonment). As a positive right, it may include the government protecting you from attacks by regular citizenry. In either case, it does not oblige the government or anyone else to promote or assist speech it finds disadvantageous to itself.

Kido will have to file the application by himself, I guess.

Sorry @englisc aspyrgend, am I also being ignorant and irrational because I think nuclear energy has this little waste disposal issue that won't seem to go away many half-lives from now?

Yes you are, you are conflating old fashioned legacy technology that was primarily designed with the production of weapons grade material or to power nuclear subs in the 50's and still pushed by large legacy corporations with modern technology which not only does not have the inbuilt hazards necessitating very expensive safety measures, does not generate the very long half life waste and in fact will burn the waste from legacy systems thus solving an otherwise intractable problem to which you refer.