August 10th, 2005

The rising number of asbestos related deaths coming to light in Japan has sparked accusations that the government has been negligent and has not given enough time to looking at the policies regarding asbestos, even though the first warnings about the dangers of this substance were issued a quarter of a century ago.

The controversy comes hot on the heels of revelations from Kubota Corp. with regards to the number of ex-employees that may have died as a result of asbestos exposure. Further data from the health ministry shows that around nine hundred people died from asbestos related disease in 2003, and experts state that something has to be done about the asbestos policies in Japan.

Fuyushi Nagakura, director of the Asbestos Center, a group that supports patients with asbestos-linked illnesses stated: "Japan's asbestos policy is far behind that of other developed nations. The national government is scrambling to respond after things have already happened, which is a bit similar to their response to the aids blood scandal."

New uses of asbestos were banned in the late 1980s in many countries, including the United States. However, despite the revelations about the dangers of asbestos, two of the most toxic types of the substance were not banned until the mid 1990s in Japan.