It's puzzling events like this which don't seem to make sense which make it difficult to take Mizuno seriously.
I spoke with Mizuno when he was here visiting I.H. Just to say hello. I do not know exactly how long he stayed, but I did get the impression things were rushed. I do not think he was in charge of the timing. Perhaps this should make it difficult for you to take I.H. seriously, rather than doubting Mizuno.
But, if I were you, I would reserve judgement and not try to suss out what happened based on fragments of information and rumors. It is hard enough understanding these experiments when you have full access to all the data, you can ask the author anything you like, and you devote weeks to the assessment. Jumping to conclusions based a few internet messages will get you nowhere.
I know a lot about these tests. But I still do not know enough to judge what happened, or whether time pressure was factor, or how close they came to replicating. If I.H. decides to tell me a lot about what happened, I might be able to reach a conclusion. Maybe not, if I have difficulty understanding. Not knowing does not bother me. Being puzzled and not being able to make sense of events I know little about does not bother me. I feel no urge to speculate about them. Perhaps I have a higher tolerance for ambiguity than you do.