Olympic shock: Japanese company admits falsifying earthquake safety data for Tokyo 2020 venues
A Japanese hydraulics company has admitted manipulating earthquake safety data for almost 1,000 buildings across Japan, including venues for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games.
Tokyo-based KYB firm and its subsidiary admitted systematically doctoring data for hydraulic oil dampers aimed at reducing shaking during earthquakes, insisting, however, that there were no immediate safety concerns, despite the violations.
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The company made assurances that the affected buildings would be able to withstand an earthquake measuring seven on the Japanese seismic scale. It also said that the violations were committed in order to save time and avoid delays in building process.
The revelation that safety data was falsified came after Japanese media reported that some of the Olympic venues, including Tokyo Skytree, the Ariake Arena and the Olympics Aquatics Center do not meet safety standards.
Many Japanese officials accused the company of putting monetary profit ahead of people’s safety as sufficient earthquake resistance is a vital factor in a seismically unstable country like Japan.
KYB president reportedly apologized for the safety manipulations and promised to replace all the falsified products.
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It was the latest controversy in a string of scandals in Japan after several leading companies revealed they fudged the safety data.
Last year, industrial firm Kobe Steel admitted it tampered with quality data of products delivered to major companies, including Boeing and Toyota. In July, Nissan admitted it repeatedly falsified data on exhaust emission control and fuel economy.
