While Apple successfully negotiated a financial compensation regarding the previous case of iPod battery burst leading to fire in Japan, a new reported case relaunched the entire story.
According to Apple, such problem can potentially affected 0.001% of the iPod, however, the Japanese government has asked Apple to provide further details and explanations, and potentially a call-back of affected devices. Maybe the Japanese government forgot about the explosive/burning notebook batteries story couple of months ago which leaded most notebook manufacturers to launch exchange program but as it was a Japanese company (Sony), it was maybe strategically different
[translation by Linathael]