power of Tokyo University, and the supposed sequestering of the Japanese
investigetors! Hiroshima-Nagasaki medical data by American scientists all
were factors which assumed prominence at one time or another.
On March 1, 1954, at Bikini, a thermonuclear-type weapon was detonated.
At this time, a Japanese fishing vessel wes trolling for tuna supposedly
outside the danger area set up by U. S. scientists.
The course of this
vessel, the Fukuryu aru No. 5, was directly toward the island of Bikini.
If the weapon had been detonated several hours leter and the ship had not
changed course, the vessel would undoubtedly fave been within the restricted
zone.
Following the flash from the weapon, the vessel chenged course and
eventually headed into a "radioactive fall-out".
This vessel was part of
a fishing cooperative operating out of the port of Yaizu.
by wireless twice daily to its home port.
It reported
The ship was supposed to report
ell untoward incidents or sickness of personnel.
At no time did the
Fukuryu Maru trensmit by wireless any report of the thermonuclear flash, the
radioactive fallout, or the beginning illnesses of the crew.
It is
reasonable to assume that the United States agencies would have been most
anxious to remove the men from the potential hazard of the radioactive ship
and to remove the ship and its cargo of tuna from endangering Japanese
workers and Japanese tuna consumers.
The irrefutable fact that Japanese
hationals allowed their catch to be handled and conveyed through fish
wnolesele and retail channels without regard to consumer safety has never
been questioned officially by the Japanese government or emotionally by
the Japanese people.
It is possible that a large part of the hysteria that
accompanied the newspaper reports of the "fall-out" wes a commercially
tinged outlook.
Japan is predominatly a fish-eating country; large segments
0