The product data falsification by Kobe Steel Ltd. does more than call into question the management responsibility of the major steel maker. It damages global trust in the quality control of Japanese manufacturing. Priority should be on ascertaining whether the safety of Kobe Steel products has been compromised — a daunting task in itself given that the products in question were shipped to roughly 500 clients both in Japan and overseas for use in electric appliances, aircraft, train cars, automobile components, defense equipment and so on.

What should also be examined is whether the problem that surfaced at Kobe Steel is an isolated case among Japanese manufacturers. Over the past year or so, globally operating major Japanese firms have confessed to lapses in their manufacturing processes, including falsification of fuel-efficiency data by Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and improper vehicle inspections by Nissan Motor Co. Nissan admitted Thursday that safety inspections by unauthorized staff had continued at four of its six domestic plants even after the automaker disclosed the problem and its president offered an apology in early October. Nissan is suspending all car shipments for sale in the domestic market and may consider additional recalls of cars already sold with improper inspection.

The parties involved should realize that not just the management of individual companies, but trust in the "made-in-Japan" brand, is at stake.