Japan PM Eats Fukushima Fish to Show That It’s Still Safe to Consume

Knowing that water from a crippled Fukushima nuclear plant was released into the waters around Fukushima, would you still be open to eating Fukushima fish?

Siao. Later eat already become X-Men.

As it turns out, this is the least of the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Fumio Kishida’s, concerns.

Japan PM Eats Fukushima Fish to Demonstrate That It’s Still Safe for Consumption

On Wednesday (30 August), a clip of Mr Kishida eating Fukushima fish alongside three other ministers surfaced on multiple social media platforms.

The table of four was served sashimi, boiled pork, fruits, rice and vegetables from the Fukushima region.

Huh? Jiak pa bo sai pang ah? PM and Ministers all so free?

No lah. The PM and ministers were merely trying to demonstrate that fish from Fukushima was still safe for consumption.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the panic that has set in following news of treated water from a crippled Fukushima nuclear plant being released into the Pacific.

Before you say anything, don’t worry—the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that the released water was treated and safe.

You can read more about the release of the Fukushima wastewater here.

That’s why Mr Kishida came out to eat Fukushima fish in front of the cameras, demonstrating that the discharge of treated wastewater doesn’t raise food safety concerns for the fish.

Fukushima fish is still safe for consumption.

We bet he never thought this would be part of his job one day: getting paid to eat fish—what a dream.

In the video, the Japan PM even adds that the fish was “very good” and urged viewers to have some “safe and delicious” Japanese seafood.

Japan Demands China to Drop Seafood Import Ban

Upon news of water discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, China banned all Japanese seafood imports.

This was in consideration of “food safety risks of radioactive contamination caused by the discharge of nuclear wastewater from Fukushima into the sea”.

Sian lor. I guess China has to get their sashimi from elsewhere now.

To make things worse, China imported more than US$500 million (S$676 million) of seafood from Japan last year. That’s a lot of money that Japan is now losing out on.

Japanese businesses find themselves dealing with nuisance calls from Chinese numbers rather than doing actual business. Japanese schools and consulates in China haven’t been let off the hook either—many have been the target of vandalism, having bricks and eggs thrown at their buildings.

All of this, over some fish from Fukushima that’s allegedly “unsafe” for consumption.

So, of course, Japan isn’t too happy with China now. The nation has since demanded China drop the ban, or else a complaint would be lodged with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Aside from such demands and having the PM eat Fukushima fish on video, Japan is also reportedly working on dishing out financial aid to affected fisheries and fishermen.

Think the Majulah Package, but for Japanese fishermen.

So, what’s your take? Would you still eat fish from Fukushima or in Japan in general?