national

Japan grapples with serving Fukushima food at 2020 Olympics

58 Comments
By Karyn NISHIMURA

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2019 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


58 Comments
Login to comment

Time for Abe and company to do their patriotic duty and eat up food from Fukushima on national TV.

If they don't start glowing in the dark, then hell, it should be ok right?

18 ( +21 / -3 )

If you want my advice, teams and visitors from around the world will most certainly NOT be convinced its okay.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

Oh, I definitely agree with that. I’m so tired of people telling after what happened there that there are no levels of radiation in Fukushima and the food is absolutely safe to eat.

Yeah, you go first....

15 ( +19 / -4 )

"perhaps (third-party checks) may be important from the point of view of foreigners," 

Perhaps? There’s no ‘perhaps’ about it! Most Japanese would also welcome third party checks from an international body with the results reported outside of Japan.

There have been way too many coverups by the J-Gov and TEPCO to believe anything they say. However, it is quite likely that food produce from areas further away from the meltdowns is perfectly safe, just can’t believe anything this government says.

20 ( +22 / -2 )

Dumping MILLIONS of gallons of tainted water into the ocean has been deemed safe and acceptable buy some high ranking idiots, just dump it in TOKYO Harbor then!

Food from the Fukushima region has got to be safe then based on the water dumping?

See how asinine that sounds? Maybe they could bottle some of that water up and use during the olympics? The whole situation has been handled like children playing with a loaded gun, lying to the world about having the situation under control, that is nonsense...

Japan is so backwards, I would laugh if some countries decided to boycott the olympics because of how THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT is handling and lying about the Fukushima incident, especially with this article about PUSHING the lie that all food from that region is safe to eat. If it is feed it to the kids in schools, then see how fast the people of japan turn on the government.

This is what happens when all have to do is BOW so deep and long that you mop the floor with your tongue to change the taste of your lie, once you do that its all good, IF YOUR JAPANESE:)

5 ( +12 / -7 )

The position underlines a long-running problem for Japan: while it points to its extensive, government-mandated checks as proof of safety, many abroad feel the government is not an objective arbiter.

And this is what it is all about. The Japanese government wants to control things. They don't want to cede control to anyone else and they certainly don't want to admit that a 3rd party, independent organization is needed to verify food safety.

I can well imagine the bureaucrats in Kasumigaseki wringing their hands in indignation at the idea that the government-mandated / controlled inspections are insufficient. I mean, this is the Japanese government. How dare anyone question us is probably the attitude.

And, yet, it probably will, in the end, be better for all. Especially for the producers in Fukushima.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

It doesn't matter, most sports powers are bringing in their own food and water and run own cafeteria to feed their athletes and ensure their athletes are not exposed to Fukushima food.

it is only the smaller nations that are forced to feed Fukushima food to their athletes.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Oh, this very article already explains sports power's plan to bring in their own food and water.

South Korea, which is currently locked in a dispute with Japan over wartime issues, has been vocal about its concerns ahead of the Olympics, even raising the possibility of bringing in its own kitchen and food.

It's not just Korea that will run own separate cafeteria, US, China, and Russia too will.

-1 ( +8 / -9 )

No one would risk it... no one would eat a chernobyl burger why expect anyone to eat Fukushima fish no matter now much they said it is safe. I would rather eat processed mcdonalds that eat anything a government told me was safe.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Lord, please help.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Make Abe decide, and have him and the JOC go in front of the world to sell it. He's the one who said that Fukushima will not have an impact.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

@dbsaiya

Make Abe decide, and have him and the JOC go in front of the world to sell it.

Abe has already decided he was going to feed Olympic athletes and IOC officials with delicious Fukushima food.

Major sports power in response bring in own food and run own cafetaria to protect them from Fukushima food.

So only athletes of poor nations are forced to eat Fukushima food.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Only river fish and wild mushrooms have on just six occasions been found to exceed the limits

OK, but how many were tested? Six or six million, it makes a big difference.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

@Wobot

Just don't force people to eat it

Technically no one is forced to eat Fukushima food being served by Japan Olympic organizers.

But unless you come from a major country that can afford to run its own cafeteria, you have no realistic option.

Olympic village food and outside food are the same, and consuming outside food is dangerous because of unintentional doping possibilities.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

"Generally, Japanese citizens have faith in the government, and we haven't felt the need to have checks carried out by independent parties," said Kusano.

LOL! Like what and who is this man speaking for? Actually the statistics are good, but my distrust in my government makes me want to eat from elsewhere.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

 If it is feed it to the kids in schools, then see how fast the people of japan turn on the government.

It already has been. People were angry. Nothing changed.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Save and trusted by Japanese people? One month ago i saw a vegetable seller in Shinagawa cover the provenance of Fukushima tomatoes with new stickers on every 4-pack. i took a picture.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

They will change the labels and mix it with the food from other places. The same way they take contaminated Fukushima rice and mix with other regional rices then label it from a different prefecture.

The Japanese scam rinse and repeat.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

Would feeding them Fukushima food be considered doping?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Folks it doesn't matter where a competition is, athletes try to maintain the same diet they train with at home when abroad.  These competitions are NOT for trying local foods while traveling.

And as we can see from many quotes in this article there are still a LOT of things TOCOG & the IOC etc haven't decided on with 8months to go till the start …...insane!

And a big YES to 3rd party testing & verification Japan has totally blown this, NO ONE trusts the govt, period! The govt has done a huge disservice to Fukushima & clearly it is still ongoing bigtime!

I don't know how, but I suspect there will be no Fukushima food inside the Village......if they do then the govt risks the embarrassment of people passing on it & pictures worldwide...…..

6 ( +7 / -1 )

@GW

I suspect there will be no Fukushima food inside the Village

You don't get it. Abe administration is absolutely convinced Fukushima food is safe and is proud to serve them to olympic athletes and staff.

In fact, Abe administration is forcing Fukushima refugees to return home or risk having their subsidies cut off, because Abe administration is convinced Fukushima area is safe to live once again.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

@Samit Basu - it is only the smaller nations that are forced to feed Fukushima food to their athletes.

And the millions of international visitors, of course.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Probably all foods in all countries contain some level of radiation. Not all of Fukushima was contaminated with radiation and other areas were too, like Nagano, Gunma and Miyagi.

And if people want to eat and indulge in the food in that particular region, that's their right to do so, but don't ask me to partake in that science government experiment, No way would I subject myself to that risk and No one could convict me otherwise and that's why I don't go to those areas, regardless of what the government is trying to get me to believe.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

It is not a problem if it is safe or not, the issue is people are free to chose. If I propose you two apples, bot beautiful, both throughly washed, but I tell you that the left one earlier fell into my latrine, which one do you pick?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

To serve or not to serve?

It is not really a question...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Jp people are so tame they don't question this unclearness.

Jp Govt. is used to this easy controlled people.

Collapsed!

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Unfortunately with the way the government has released information about the crisis there's not a lot of trust.

The reality is that the people of Fukushima need financial support for all their losses and the prefecture closed off for 100 years. It would be the only way to both deal with the radioactive storage problem (the prefecture becomes the storage) and give construction the space it needs to combat further leaking, but also deal with the bioaccumulation effects of any food. Especially to kids and kid cancer rates.  

Reality cannot be avoided and don't work against political whims

1 ( +4 / -3 )

don't = doesn't

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan should not push the Fukushima food on the Olympic teams and attendees. Bad PR for Japan and Fukushima unless they can have outside (foreign as well) inspectors to measure radiation and publish their findings. Why not sell it to North Koreans or put it on boats and let the tide carry it to the DPRK and send the bill to Tepco.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

"Generally, Japanese citizens have faith in the government, and we haven't felt the need to have checks carried out by independent parties," said Kusano.

That is a sweeping statement if I ever saw one. Most Japanese around me avoid Fukushima food like the plague

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Only reasonable to provide people with choice, regardless of how good the stats are...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Crazy Joe spelled it out correctly! The testing that went in by the UK & USA in the Christmas Island Chain during WWII using smaller dosages of radiation has left them uninhabitable for at least another 200yrs at last reporting. The environmental damages at this sight will take a long time recovering & the disposal of the reactor cools down water left standing poses an even greater hazard over time if the begain to deteriorate & rupture. Vital to come u with a disposal solution soon.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This has to do with the credibility of the Japanese government and Japan itself. That there is doubt and the issue being discussed show there are countries that do not trust the Japanese government and want a third-party to exam. This is a good chance for Japan to regain credibility and allow the third party to confirm Japan's test results showing food from the region is safe to eat.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Serve food from Fukushima to the people of the world and the world will never go to Japan, the Olympics will be a failure and the Japanese people will al be sick for the next 50 years because of the massive amounts of radioactive cuisine that they will have to ingest to save face.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

If people think all foods from Fukushima are bad while foods from all other places are safe, you need to have a rethink. You could be absorbing more radiation from a long haul flight to London, New York, LA.

Here we go again.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

@Zichi as I and others have constantly debunked the “flight radiation” analogy, please, stop, as you’re just making yourself look foolish. The radiation you are exposed to on an international flight is 1. not deposited in muscle or bone tissue 2. not those isotopes found in the environment after the explosion of a BWR reactor(s), such as Strontium 90. So, please, fo the sake of science and fact, stop using this analogy which is a fallacy.

The half life of cesium is 30 years.

Would that be Caesium? And, if it is, which one? 134? 137? Or some “other”?

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Umm.....don't most of us eat Fukushima food products already?? I was told that most convenient store already use their products like the rice in their onigiri's and many fastfood chains like Yoshinoya to keep costs low. Unless, you all do 100% of your own grocery shopping at high end organic grocery stores and never eat convenient store foods for lunch at work, then I'm pretty sure you've been eating radiated food for years without issue. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because this was hear from a 3rd party.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Maybe they could wash the food with the safe water that they are about to release!! They can kill 2 birds with one stone.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

How much do you want to bet they are NOT going to advertise the food is from the area where a nuclear reactor melted down. They'll say the fish, "are from the Pacific", and I bet they will even hesitate to say "made in Japan" to generalise the other product regions, because they themselves don't want the association.

I'm getting sick of the mentality of the J-government that, "We'll prove it's safe by forcing you to eat it! Isn't that a good idea?" Until it gets shot down and they either deny it was an idea to begin with, or they get angry at foreign criticism about it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Personally I love Fukushima peaches but none were available near me this past season.

Radiation levels in guidelines are much stricter here than in the US.

By the way, using a top of the line new geiger counter a week after the incident, Setagaya-ku in Tokyo was super hot. Five times over the limit. And rooftops of school buildings there were over 5.

I worked in one and got the headmaster to clean it up.

Down in Shonan in the town of Kugenumakaigan, it was super hot too.

Yamato-shi where I live was cold. Normal.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I blame Japan Agriculture (JA) for never explicitly stating where in Fukushima produce is from. I mean, what town, so I can look it up on Google Maps and decide. I have done this at several "Fukushima Fairs" and decided not to buy as the location was just a bit too near the Daipatsu/nukes melting down in progress sites. I feel sorry that I bypass other overly generally labeled "Fukushima" produce that is safe, but how can I be absolutely sure?

There is the entire rest of Japan to get my fish, fruit, and veggies from, so Fukushima will lose every time because I cannot trust the JA and it's non-labeling. Heck with that!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

It surprises me that cities like Soma haven't asked to be moved into an adjacent prefecture.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Unless Abe and all his cronies are going to eat it why would anyone else?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

People criticizing agricultural products from Fukushima being in the market have never even tried to look into actual data, or even have the educational background to understand the statistics

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Whatever, it is my friends and I will not be eating.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites