Satoshi Sugiyama

Associated Press

Yasuhisa Tanaka, center, chairman of an outside investigation team appointed by the operator of Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, speaks during a press conference in Tokyo Thursday, June 16, 2016. The team has concluded that an instruction from then-company president to avoid mentioning “meltdown” delayed disclosure of the status of three reactors. Tokyo Electric Power Co. described the Fukushima reactors’ condition as less serious “core damage” for two months after the March, 2011 earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant. Two other lawyers of the team are: Zenzo Sasaki, left, and Toshiki Nagasaki.

Japan Denies Pressuring TEPCO Over 'Meltdown'

TEPCO found that an instruction to avoid using the term "meltdown" delayed full public disclosure of the status of the Fukushima nuclear plant, which suffered three reactor meltdowns after a major earthquake and tsunami.