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Tokyo raised the alert level over the Fukushima nuclear crisis to seven on Tuesday, a rating on par with the Chernobyl disaster. This was long overdue.

In the wake of the Fukushima incident in mid-March, experts across the world warned of its severity. The US and some European countries publicized their own assessments, suggesting the crisis might be worse than Japan had made it seem. Nevertheless, Tokyo insisted on playing down the incident, and it took the authorities nearly a month to raise the rating at Fukushima from four to seven.

Surprisingly, Western governments and media have been mild-mannered  toward Japan's misconduct. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not condemned the mistake. Had this incident taken place in a country like China, would the US and Europe have shown such tolerance? If the crisis had happened in a Western country, would their media have been so complacent?

Earlier this month, Japan dumped radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. It did so without consulting with its neighbors, and only notified the US. Such cover-ups are unacceptable either from a diplomatic or political standpoint.

Japan's neighbors are largely disadvantaged on the international stage. They often appear passive in the face of Western dominance of the power to set global agenda. Despite being faced with a direct threat from the Fukushima crisis, these countries are not capable of prompting a more realistic attitude from Japan.


The Kan administration made a mistake in withholding the truth. Their choice was not necessarily badly motivated, but it has violated basic governance ethics. This cover-up has primarily endangered Japanese citizens. It also misguides surrounding countries' judgment and coping methods. The Kan administration owes a serious official apology to neighboring countries.

Meanwhile, IAEA head Yukiya Amano should explain his dereliction of duty to the UN. The IAEA is obliged to supervise the Fukushima incident and having a Japanese citizen at its helm does not excuse its complacency.

Western mildness and silence has helped Japan's mistake endured, and the entire world needs to reflect upon this. The Western media have treated Japan to a different standard, due to Japan's position as an US ally.

Prioritizing interests and ideological concerns undermines the justice of international public opinion, and endows Japan with the power to deal with the incident as it pleases. Unfortunately, the US will end up paying for Japan's mistake along with others.

A nuclear crisis is borderless, and its handling will influence the attitudes of all other nuclear states. Being selfish on a nuclear issue is appalling, and the correction of such selfishness must be swift. The Western media should cast politics aside, and contribute actively to such efforts.