In Japan, "truth" is often a very nebulous concept. A "situational ethics" approach to life here directly affects law and gives birth to the "don't ask, don't tell" attitude, which is pervasive in Japan.
I remember years ago when my mother found out that our home was built illegally. She insisted that we "turn ourselves in."
My father dutifully went to the city office and the man patiently tried to inform us that 80 percent of all the homes in Tokyo are technically "illegal," that is, built on more land than the law actually allows.