power of Tokyo University, and the supposed sequcsteriig of the Japanese
investigetors' Hiroshima-Nagesaki medical’ data by * ericen scientists all
were factors which assumed prominence at one tise or another.
On March 1, 1954, at Bikini, a thermonuclear-', »o weapon was detonated.
At this time, a Japanese fishing vessel was trolli.g for tuna supposedly
outside the danger area set up by U. S. scientist:,
‘Tie course of this
vessel, the Fukuryu haru No. 5, was directly towar’ i} island of Bikini.
If the weapon had been detonated several hours letter end the ship had not
changed course, the vessel would undoubtedly have ion. .ithin the restricted
gone.
Following the flash from the weapon, the v-.:e] chenged course and
eventually headed into a "radioactive fall-out".
(“ils vessel was part of
a fishing cooperative operating out of the port of Y tzu.
by wireless tiice deily to its home port.
u reported
The shi, was supposed to report
éll untoward incidents or sicksess of personnel.
i no t*-e did the
Fukuryu Maru transmit by wireless any report of tl. t.erronuclear flash, the
radioactive fallout, cr the beginning illnesses of the crew.
It is
reasonable to assume that the United States agernci s would have been most
anxious to remove the men from the potential heazars of the radioactive ship
and to remove the snip and its cargo of tuna fro
workers and Japanese tuna consumers.
-- Jinzcring Japanese
The irrefvia te f-ct that Japanese
Nationals allowed their catcn to be handled and co.veyed through fish
wholesale and retail channels without regard to co su.er safety has never
been questioned officially by the Japanese goveinuct o. emotionally by
the Japanese people.
It is possible that a large p-rt of the hysteria that
accompanied the newspaper reports of the "fall-out" ..°5 « comaercially
tinged outlook.
Japan is predominatly a fish-cat’ ccmbry; large segments
mame Ty