Regarding the Aug. 10 front-page Jiji Press article "Seawater option for meltdown galled execs": Over the ages, we humans have made small mistakes, big mistakes and very big mistakes. It is human to err. To learn from the mistakes and take effective steps not to repeat them is what set humans apart from animals.
As more truth comes out of the Fukushima accidents, the complacency on the part of Tokyo Electric Power Co. is revealed. It is very sad to see Tepco trying to hide its failures in such a blatant manner. Though it is a fact that no lives were lost due to radiation, it is known to everyone that if things had worsened a bit more (on March 11, 2011), Japan would have had a calamity on its hands.
With so many nuclear reactors in Japan, Tepco has a duty to put everything on the table and make everything public so that these mistakes are not repeated. The common man's perception of nuclear energy is very important. If Tepco keeps acting like this, public support will wane to the extent that people will strike down nuclear energy even if the economy depends on it. The government should ensure that it has access to all relevant information from Tepco and that it never dances to Tepco's tune.
Tepco need not waddle in the mud. It should raise its hands and admit that mistakes were made and that it needs everybody's support to put things right for the future. The image of Japanese corporates has taken a beating internationally, what with the Olympus Corp. scandal and now Tepco's mishandling. Don't allow Japan to become the world's laughingstock. Tepco, as a large corporation of this country, must help maintain national pride.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.