Japan: Nuclear crisis 'man-made'

The crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station is seen through a bus window on November 12, 2011.

• The report criticizes the plant's operator, regulators and the Japanese government
• It attributes the cause of the failings to Japan's culture of "reflexive obedience"
• It is one of several investigations into the nuclear crisis that displaced thousands

Tokyo (CNN) -- The nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan unfolded as a result of willful negligence before the natural disasters of March 11 last year and a flawed response afterward, a report by a Japanese parliamentary panel said Thursday.

Singling out the plant's operator, regulators and the Japanese government, the investigative report described the critical problems at Fukushima Daiichi following the earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan as "a man-made disaster."

The crippled plant spewed radiation and displaced tens of thousands of residents from the surrounding area.

The report's authors attributed the failings at the plant before and after March 11 specifically to Japanese culture.

"What must be admitted -- very painfully -- is that this was a disaster 'Made in Japan,'" the report said. "Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience; our reluctance to question authority; our devotion to 'sticking with the program.'"

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of Fukushima Daiichi, admitted last month that it was not fully prepared for the nuclear disaster.

The company's final report on the disaster said it did not have sufficient measures to prevent the accident. It also acknowledged criticism that TEPCO took too long to disclose information.