The Yukijirushi (Snow Brand) contaminated-milk scandal was the product of corporate arrogance aggravated by a bunker mentality. President Tetsuro Ishikawa's apologies meant little after he admitted he had no idea what goes on in his plants. Having helmed the number one dairy products company for several decades and never experienced a year without a profit, the executive couldn't comprehend that something could actually go wrong.

Such an attitude can be expected to excite outrage in consumers, but before that it was the media's prerogative to be furious. Individual reporters will sometimes display impatience when given the brush-off, but the entire coverage of the Snow Brand calamity has been rife with resentment and payback, an attitude exemplified in an exchange between Ishikawa and an anonymous reporter after one of the press conferences. As Ishikawa tried to flee the press, who obviously were not satisfied with his answers, he yelled at them to leave him alone. "I haven't slept in days," he said, to which the reporter barked back, "Neither have I!" (Ishikawa made good on his petulant remark -- he entered the hospital.)

The media themselves are often accused of arrogance, so when they get their comeuppance it can be pretty tough. Last year, after TV Asahi's news department reported that vegetables grown in Saitama Prefecture contained unacceptable levels of dioxin, farmers in the prefecture protested loudly and were vindicated when the broadcaster found out its figures were faulty. They apologized and retracted the report, but it wasn't enough. The farmers sued.