Japanese restaurants in China are experiencing a significant decline in customer traffic and business as worries escalate over the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s plan to release radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. Managers of several renowned Japanese eateries in Beijing have reported a noticeable decrease in customers and have decided to cease importing fresh seafood from Japan.
The upscale Liangmaqiao area, known for its Japanese restaurants, has been particularly affected by the negative sentiment. The manager of a well-known establishment in Beijing’s Chaoyang district expressed concerns about the repercussions of Japan’s actions on the global stage. In response to the news reports about the dumping plans, the restaurant has made the decision to seek alternative seafood suppliers, though they remain uncertain about the source country.
Another Japanese restaurant manager in Beijing echoed these sentiments, stating that their establishment has already ceased purchasing seafood from Japan and has shifted to procuring from Chinese fishing ports instead. They highlighted the stability and good quality of the domestic seafood supply chain, despite the rising prices. It appears that more restaurants are relying on domestic seafood, leading to a surge in prices.
Meanwhile, an employee at a Japanese restaurant on Huaihai Road in Shanghai mentioned that they still import fresh seafood from Japan every two days. They expressed trust in China’s strict quality control measures, assuring that any problematic products would be denied entry into the country. However, the employee acknowledged that the news about the radioactive water dumping plan has sparked concerns among customers.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company’s report in early June revealed that fish caught near the Fukushima nuclear power plant contained 18,000 becquerels per kilogram of the radioactive substance “cesium,” surpassing the Japanese legal limit by 180 times. This revelation has generated widespread concern and ignited debates among netizens.
Social media platforms, such as Sina Weibo, have become platforms for discussions and worries regarding the safety of seafood. Many netizens expressed their uncertainty about consuming seafood and raised concerns about potential nuclear contamination of the marine ecosystem.
The repercussions of Japan’s decision to release nuclear-contaminated water from Fukushima into the ocean have extended beyond China, causing alarm among its Asian neighbors, including South Korea. Industry insiders and associations from various regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and mainland China, have strongly opposed Japan’s plan and called for a ban on Japanese food imports.
Chen Yingxin, a member of the Legislator Council of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, criticized Japan’s purification equipment, stating that fish in the Fukushima area already exceeded the standard cesium levels even before the official start of the water dumping. Chen deemed Japan’s claims of effective purification of nuclear wastewater as absurd, emphasizing the need for improved measures to prevent seawater contamination.
READ MORE: