Reconstruction minister promotes Fukushima food to 4 ambassadors

It tasting good doesn't mean it is safe. We still don't know the long term effects of consumption on kids. And Of course their going to make good comments! Can't image them refusing it or saying "this taste great and I can't even taste any radiation in it. I can't wait to bring some home to my kids." Wonder if mr. Takeshita brought some home to his wife and kids.

'You can just scrape that stuff off!'

“I felt very encouraged by the four ambassadors,” said Takeshita.

...and what did ambassadors say? Oishiikatta .....?!

To those first four of you who dissed the idea that anything good could come of this meeting, three of those four ambassadors represent countries involved in the TPP negotiations. And they know all about Fukushima's problems relative to food production. They wouldn't be there, helping Japan, if they didn't care! I care, and I'll be in Fukushima in another month, for a month, and I'll eat anything they serve me. Fearmongering does nothing to help!

This smacks of blatant food propaganda.

I wonder if the Japanese ambassador to Canada, for instance, would willing to publicly eat Canadian beef previously banned from Japan in the wake of the mad cow disease.

Suckers. I would have liked it if they told this joker off, politely refusing his 'food' offers. That would have been nice.

BTW, if this food is so heavenly good and all that, why don't the government do its part and mandate that all ministers have to eat Fukushima produce while working? Instead they play on ignorant and weak peoples ridiculous feeling for furusato or other ideas and try to squeeze this sh*t out to the masses. Well, it might work. Good thing it only does so in Japan.

Wouldn't you treat "guests" to contaminated food if you don't want the relationship to continue?

The ambassadors tried “onigiri” rice balls and commented that the rice was tasty and had good texture, Fukushima Hoso reported Wednesday. They also tasted organically grown dried persimmons from Fukushima and said they were delicious.

STOP PRESS: Ambassadors found diplomatic!

Did it dawn on Takeshita to invite any of our close neighbours' envoys from the actual markets for this produce?

@ SenseNotSoCommon:

Of course not, that would imply someone in the LDP has an actual brain in their skull. Close neighbors are to be enticed into childish arguments and not to be treated with respect by Abe and his band of incompetents.

I spent five Decembers in a row in Fukushima, three since the Tsunami. I consumed one or two local persimmons daily, at least one apple a day and some Quince as well. Local milk and various other local food. I do not glow green yet and definitely felt better in Japan than back home in -20C. while I believe some of the areas are not clean most of the Fukushima is no more radioactive than many areas in USA, Canada and other highly industrialized countries. While Radioactivity can be detected most of our food around the globe is badly poisoned with other substances that are harder to detect and are not even checked for.

So what were the radiation levels of the food consumed? Unless this is reported then the article has no meaning! Fukushima is home to the world's largest nuclear power disaster which is still ongoing. How can it be a good idea to be consuming food from such a region?

What, because the at-the-taxpayer's-expense Johnny's Jimusho campaign didn't work? That's the main reason I don't buy Fukushima produce. I will not buy anything attached to those talentless tools.

I can tell you now that, as sad as it is, Fukushima produce is a hard sell abroad...

"Fukushima is home to the world's largest nuclear power disaster which is still ongoing". It is not the only one nor it is the largest one and it is much more local and less dangerous then Chernobyl was and still is. What is more dangerous than the accident it self is the people that use it to have fun exaggerating facts and spreading scary stories. That creates more confusion, hurts millions of people psychologically and delay the efforts to remedy the actual problems. People that cry wolf whenever they see a poodle are worst for the society than any natural disaster.

To those adults gladly scoffing Fukushima produce during short visits - why wouldn't you?

Where's the data on the longer-term cumulative effects of ingesting food that's still contaminated, but at permitted levels?

Their excellencies' cooks, rest assured, will be quite chauvin about the provenance of their supplies.

@Turbostat,

Yeah they said the same thing during the actual meltdown, I remember it on TV. Was once, twice three times its gone! We Japanese are unique, therefore its safe.

i wont be intentionally eating it, but probablly already have.

5petals: Yeah they said the same thing during the actual meltdown ... i wont be intentionally eating it, but probablly already have.

If they found a hotspot 195 km away in Kashima, Chiba, there are probably lots of hot spots in farmland that they haven't found :(.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radiation-hotspot-in-chiba-linked-to-fukushima#comment_1143389

zichi: Nov. 29, 2011 - 02:37PM JST Can't be because of TEPCO, they stated via lawyers, once the radiation leaves the atomic plant, it no longer belongs to them, it belongs to the nation.

So sign the TPP and open your doors to allow the customer to decide what they like better

No thank you

Recent events worldwide have taught me the lowest form of life is the politician. How can they suggest their citizens and others eat the contaminated rice, just to save face for the government??

Why has nobody been prosecuted for Fukushima? They lied to us for a generation, and this is the result. I am not some anti-nuke crank, I am a former Senior Engineer for a power company, and had tested the BWR SRV systems of these GE Mark I & II models.

Those not in the business do not understand the disgusting acts of management.

Tell you what. We'll take your Fukushima rice and you take our mad cow beef. No seriously, everyone should stop playing games with food that can't be proven to have problems.

JP1 .. "Fearmongering"? I think not. I encourage you to do the research and read the Facts.

I was in Tokyo on 3-11 and was there for a couple years following. Just a few months after the nuc disaster, produce starting showing up on local supermarket shelves. While I desperately wanted to buy it, to help the victims in Fukushima any way I could, the contamination concerns, not based on fearmongering, but on the fact that the government LIED about contamination levels in and around the Fukushima area (land and sea) prevented me, and virtually all Japanese shoppers, from buying it.

It was also interesting that the J government was telling Fukushima and nearby communities that the radiated area would be cleaned up and that they could then move back. It was another attempt to ameliorate the situation with misinformation. Now, the gov't is looking for someplace outside the prefecture to bury contaminated land from around the plant. Really? @Japanese gov't: Do what you should do - Bury the materials in Fukushima, declare it will be off limits for the next 500 years (or whatever), and quit trying to lay a guilt trip on the rest of the country for not wanting to take radiated materials. Sheesh! Grow a pair!

gkamburoff: Why has nobody been prosecuted for Fukushima?

Gentlemen's agreement among wolves?

Really expect them to take up the case of the sheeple, and inconvenience their own fellows?

I love it that the first four commenters, who I dissed for being fearmongers, gave me the thumbs-down. Shows the mindlessness of some of the posters on JT.

How do you know which four posters it was? One of them could have been me.

TrevorPeace - I love it that the first four commenters, who I dissed for being fearmongers, gave me the thumbs-down. Shows the mindlessness of some of the posters on JT.

I am one of the Japan Today Four, but I didn't downvote you. There's a lurker about!

i doubt any of these guys ate anything from fukushima at tbe event. Some mixup in the kitchen will be quietly documented later. The 1 % know better and stick with nice organic certified food ( which can be had in japan - for a high price) - the fukushima stuff is what gets shoved into supermarket bentos for the working poor/cluess locals.