Leadership / 10.19.18

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Venues Linked to Earthquake Safety Data Scandal

Access Staff

Channel 3000 Madison (Wis.) (10/19/18) Ogura, Junko; Griffiths, James; Shane, Daniel

A major Japanese hydraulics company has confessed to falsifying earthquake safety data for buildings across the country that include venues for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. KYB and a subsidiary admitted to routinely doctoring data for hydraulic oil dampers used to reduce shaking during quakes, assuring there were no immediate safety concerns. KYB issued a list of 70 affected buildings, after local media disclosed several Olympic venues used the faulty products, including the 634-meter Tokyo Skytree, the Ariake Arena and the Olympics Aquatics Center. Tokyo 2020 stated that it had been notified by the local government "that some of [KYB's] products have been equipped at the Olympic Aquatics Center and that it [was] planned to install them at Ariake Arena." Osaka Governor Ichiro Matsui criticized the firm for installing "defective products," noting that the scandal "shows a decline in corporate ethics." KYB said it did not receive consent from hundreds of other properties in addition to the 70 it listed. Japan's Land Ministry stated that those buildings would still tolerate quakes up to 7 on the Japanese Meteorological Agency's seismic intensity scale, but warned, "it is impossible to remain standing or move without crawling (and) people may be thrown through the air."

Read the full story on the Channel 3000 website. 

Tags: Sports , Olympics , News , Stadium , Venues