Abe’s Japan Is Blind to Scary Nuclear Reality

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Forget Abenomics. Ignore ShinzoAbe’s efforts to rejuvenate Japan’s diplomatic and militaryclout. Look past the quest to rewrite the constitution. Historywill judge this prime minister by one thing alone: what he did,or didn’t do, to end the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

It’s mind-boggling how disengaged Japan’s leaders have beensince their “BP moment” -- the March 2011 near-meltdown at theFukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant. Abe’s predecessors Naoto Kanand Yoshihiko Noda virtually ignored the radiation leaks andspent fuel rods sitting 135 miles (217 kilometers) from Tokyo.In December, Abe became the third prime minister to pretend allwas well at Fukushima after a devastating earthquake and tsunamithat flooded the plant.