Japan: Anti-freeze Toothpaste and Toxic Thomas

Across the world — from the U.S. to the U.K., from Panama to Vietnam — Chinese goods have been drawing attention in the news and in blogs lately, and Japan has been no exception. Last week, reports emerged that two Japanese companies were recalling thousands of Chinese toothpaste products sold to hotels across the country after the health ministry reported finding that they contained chemicals used in anti-freeze. At the same time, Sony announced that it was recalling 43,000 “Thomas the Tank Engine” wooden toys, which were found to be covered in paint with excessive levels of lead. As elsewhere in the world, fears among Japanese people about Chinese products — and particularly about Chinese food — have been increasing as cases such as these come to light.

Thomas the Tank Engine Screenshot

Thomas the Tank Engine, from Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends TV Series

Blogger kyasupaa writes:

どうなってんだろうね、中国の製品基準って
基準そのものがないんだろうね

とりあえず、何でも入れとけや( ゚Д゚)ドルァ!!

みたいな感じで作ってんだろうねヾ(ーー )ォィ

中国製品は疑ってかからないと
死人が出るね、こりゃ┐( ̄ヘ ̄)┌

What on Earth is happening with the product standards in China
Doesn't seem like there are standards at all

For now, just put anything in there ( ゚Д゚)ドルァ!!

That's how it seems that they're making things ヾ(ーー )ォィ

If Chinese goods are not treated with suspicion
Then the deaths will continue, like this: ┐( ̄ヘ ̄)┌

Blogger chocoto writes about the Thomas the Tank Engine toys:

 昨日のニュースを見ていると木製トーマスに欠陥があり自主回収という内容が
 
 えっ?中国っていったい・・
 最近どんどん出てくるよね。
 ディズニーランドもどきの遊園地くらいならまだ笑えるけど、こういうのってもう笑えないしさ
 子どものものって一番安全を重視するものじゃないの?
 木製トーマスなんていっぱい出回っているよね
 我が家にもしっかりありますともさ
 気になってHPをチェックしてみると
 はーーい。しっかりと対象のもの持ってました。
 ベーシックセットです。
 坊ちゃんには「車輪の調子が悪いので修理してもらうね」と説明したけど、戻ってくるのは九月だそうだ。
 きっと坊っちゃんはこの修理に出される電車の存在は忘れているな・・

 皆さんも木製トーマス持ってみえる方は一度、確認されたほうがいですよ〜

I was watching the news last yesterday and there was something about a voluntary recall on wooden Thomas [the Tank Engine toys] due to a defect.

What? China, what on the Earth…
Recently there have been a lot of these cases.
I was able to laugh about the case of the pseudo-Disneyland, but with this kind of thing, I really can't.
Toys for children, aren't these the things for which safety has to be given the most attention?
These wooden Thomas [the Tank Engine toys], there's really a lot of them floating around.
We do have them right in our home as well.
I got concerned about it, did check of the homepage, and
yes. Sure enough, we have the one in question.
It's the basic set.
I explained to my boy that: “The condition of the wheels is not very good, so let me fix it for you,” but it will apparently only be returned in September.
I'm sure that the boy has forgotten of the existence of the train that was sent for repairs.

All of you as well, if you have a wooden Thomas [the Tank Engine toy] you should make sure and check.

In a post called “Dangers everywhere” (危険がいっぱい), blogger Penginmama writes:

アメリカでペット死を招いたペットフード・・・
パナマで死を遂げる人が大量発生した風邪薬・・・
続いて、海外で、散々危険性が言われていた
有毒化学物質ジエチレングリコール入り歯磨き。
日本にも入ってきているとは言われてきましたが、
ようやく15日から業者が自主回収に動き出したと・・・
輸入業者は、この歯磨きを輸入していたことを知っていたはずなのに、
今まで何をやっていたんでしょうかねぇ?
厚生労働省は、
「普通に使っている分には健康被害は出ない」
といいながら、
「使用している人は使用を中止してほしい」
って、おかしくないですか?

In America, pet food leading to the death of pets.
In Panama, cold medication that led to a large number of deaths.
Next, overseas, they were talking about the horrible dangers of
toothpaste containing the toxic chemical diethylene glycol.
They're saying that it entered Japan as well,
but finally, from the 15th [of June], the contractor started to get moving on a recall
The importer must have known that they were importing this toothpaste,
so what were they doing up until now?
While the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare is saying that:
“If you are using it [the toothpaste] at a normal rate, there will be no health hazards,”
they are also saying: “People who are using it should stop.”
Isn't this a bit strange?

同じ日に、
中国製おもちゃは危険な塗料が塗られ危険
ということで、輸入していた会社が回収しているそうですね。
子供は、手に持ったものは何でも口に運ぶ・・・
おもちゃも例外ではないわけで・・・
恐ろしい話です。

On the same day,
there was talk about the dangers of a coating compound used on toys imported from China,
and the company that was importing [the toys] is apparently recalling them.
A child can carry anything they are holding in their hands and put it into their mouth…
Toys are no exception…
It's really a frightening story.

ついでに、
日本のメディアは報じていませんが、
中国のスーパーで扱う子供服10種類から
発がん性物質がでたそうです。
日本が輸入していたかまではわかりませんが、
口にするもの以外でも、中国産の物は危険がいっぱい!

Then next,
Japanese media isn't covering this, but
ten different types of clothing carried at Chinese supermarkets
apparently contained carcinogenic materials.
I'm not sure if Japan was importing this [clothing], but even so,
[it seems that even in the case of] things that you don't put in your mouth, Chinese goods are really dangerous!

日本で報道しているのは、ごく一部なんでしょう。
が、一部報道されただけでも、
ネット環境のない人でも、中国産の物の危険性がわかるわけで・・・
中国製品の不買が広まるといいですね。

It seems that is being reported on in Japan is only a very small part [of what's going on].
But even with only this small part being reported on,
and even in the case of people without access to the Internet, anybody can understand the dangers involved in goods produced in China.
I hope that more people stop buying Chinese goods.

Finally, another blogger writes:

・・・・恐ろしい、恐ろしすぎるよ。
今、身の回りには中国製品が氾濫している。100円ショップではほぼ100%中国製だし、ファミレスの食材だってかなりの量が中国産だ、冷凍食品の材料もそうだし、スーパーの特売品だって中国産だ。なんといっても調達コストが安いのだ。

….so terrible, it's just too terrible.
Right now, all around us, we are being flooded by goods made in China.
100 yen shops sell almost 100% Chinese goods, a very large part of the ingredients of food served at family restaurant [chains] also comes from China, as well as the ingredients of frozen goods, and bargain-priced goods at supermarkets are also from China.
More than anything, this is because the cost of procuring these goods is cheap.

だが、現実はこんなものなんだ。
恐ろしくて子供におもちゃも買ってやれない。安心して外食も出来ない。当然、スーパーでも間違いなく国産なのか確かめているが、産地偽装されてしまえば一緒である。
だいたい、中国以外の国でここまでひどい害毒を商品として輸出する国はないんじゃないか?

But in reality, this is the kind of things they are.
It's so terrible that I can't buy toys for my child. I am so worried that I can't eat out at restaurants either. Of course, when shopping at a supermarket, I make sure to check if [products are] from China, but even so if they were packaged to make them look as if they come from some region [in Japan], then that doesn't make any difference.
Other than China, no other country that we import from has produced goods with such horrible toxins, have they?

でも、なぜかこれらの事実をメディアは大々的に放送しない。それこそ不買運動でも起こっていいくらいなのにね。だから、この問題には間違いなく大きな力が働いているとしか思えない。国民の安全より自らの利益が優先されている結果であろう。

But then why has the media not broadcast these facts to any extensive degree? I mean, this is at the level that there should be a boycott. [This despite the fact that it at the point now where a boycott would be best.] For this reason, I can only imagine there must be a great amount of pressure being exerted [in relation to coverage of] this problem. The result will be that personal profits will be prioritized over the safety of citizens.

北京オリンピックが開催され、勘違いした中国が中国製品の価格が釣り上げればそのうち中国の製品を輸入するメリットも大きく下がるだろう。何より現実の中国が世界に晒されるのだから見たことも聞いたことも無いようないろんな話が出てくるだろうね。そういう意味ではすごく楽しみだけどw

The Beijing Olympics are to be held, and if China, under an illusion, raises the prices of its products, then eventually the merits of importing products from China will also greatly decrease. Above all, the real China will be exposed to the world, and I guess that there will be a lot of talk about all these things that we have never seen or heard of. In that sense, I am really excited about it.

これを見た人たちが少しでも周りのネットを知らない人たちにこの現実を教えてあげて、少しでも危険が減りますように・・・

ちなみに我が家では中国産は禁止です

I hope that people who are reading this will tell other poeple around them who don't have access to the internet about the reality, so that dangers will be reduced bit by bit…

By the way, in my household, Chinese goods are prohibited.

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