On Dec. 15, freelance journalist Tomohiko Suzuki held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan about his new book, "Yakuza and Nuclear Power," which describes Suzuki's stint as a worker on cleanup detail at the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor last summer. Though the book is mainly about organized crime's involvement in the crisis, the press conference was more wide-ranging and highlighted by minutiae that could only come from someone who was part of a process: the taxonomy of pay grades, the architecture of Tokyo Electric Power Company's deniability in terms of worker health, the veneer of scientific expertise that hides a lack of scientific rigor.
During the press conference (which is available to watch on YouTube), Suzuki said he is not qualified to comment on whether Japan should abandon nuclear power, but that the current "dire" situation at the reactor continues despite the government's reassurances regarding a "cold shutdown." He also explained why he brought his story to the FCCJ. "The Japanese media have turned away from this issue," he said, "and I have a great deal of information."
It's commonly held that the foreign press has covered the nuclear disaster more critically than the domestic press has. Some consider the foreign coverage alarmist, while others say domestic reporting has been too mindful of Tepco influence and government policy. Much of the intelligence Suzuki presented has already been reported in other Japanese media, though not necessarily in such detail. However, two recent news stories show how the mainstream media remain skittish about the subject.