In fact, the Kan administration – which loathes the involvement of bureaucrats, who are professionals, in managing public affairs – delayed notifying neighboring countries when it was forced to order the release of water containing low concentrations of radioactive material. For Kan, the real priority was his government’s effort to maintain its grip on power, not reassuring Japan’s neighbors of the actions it was taking to contain a potential threat to their citizens.
事实上在被迫下令向海中排放低浓度放射性污水之时，正是这个痛恨专业公共事务官僚的菅直人政府贻误了知会各国政府的时机。对菅直人来说，首要的考虑依然是如何继续把持政权，而不是在一手操纵了这场可能对各国人民造成潜在威胁的行为后尽力恢复各国对日本的信任。