A Japanese component manufacturer has admitted to falsifying performance data for earthquake shock absorbers installed in nearly 1,000 buildings.
The government said KYB Corporation supplied dampers (meant to protect from the effects of earthquakes) that did not meet requirements for 986 housing, office, hospital and government buildings.
The components in question are base isolation and vibration damping oil dampers, which are fitted under the building and between supporting columns respectively.
The Ministry of Land (MOL) said KYB would replace all dampers that failed to meet requirements or were suspected to be below requirements.
Japan is an earthquake prone country which had two major earthquakes in 2018.
The Japan Times (JT) reported that KYB told MOL data on the performance tolerances of its products were falsified to pass requirements in order to avoid delays in delivery, and that it was highly likely the data was fabricated between January 2003 and September 2017.
JT added affected parts could have been installed in landmarks including Tokyo Skytree and Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka. However MOL has not provided a list of the buildings affected.
KYB has not responded to a request to comment from SM. But, in a news conference, KYB chairman Yasusuke Nakajima said he apologiesed “deeply and profusely” for the falsifications, AFP reported.
This scandal makes KYB the latest in a list of Japanese companies to be involved in data falsification scandals – joining the ranks for Kobe Steel, Mitsubishi Materials and Nissan Motors.
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