Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made a visit to Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market, where he sampled seafood and spoke with workers to evaluate the repercussions of China’s ban on Japanese seafood. The ban was enacted in response to Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant into the sea, a process that commenced last week and is expected to persist for decades. Prior to the water release, China had already increased scrutiny of Japanese fisheries products at customs, leading to significant delays and affecting seafood prices and sales, extending beyond Fukushima to regions like Hokkaido.
Japanese officials have urged domestic consumers to increase their consumption of scallops to support struggling exporters, while simultaneously seeking new export markets in Europe and the United States. Notably, all seawater and fish sampling data since the wastewater release have consistently remained well below established safety limits for radioactivity, according to both officials and the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings.
In response to China’s seafood ban, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno hinted at the possibility of taking the case to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Japan has previously raised concerns about China’s trade restrictions lacking scientific basis and intends to explore various options while emphasizing the importance of dialogue, as highlighted by Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. The ban’s impact has also extended to tourism, with increased cancellations of Chinese group tourists and inquiries about food safety in Japan, prompting officials to assess the situation.