Within weeks, the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear power plant is expected to start releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, a highly contested plan facing fierce protests in and outside Japan.
, which means seafood for holiday makers and good times for business owners. But in Fukushima, that may end soon.
While officials say the possible impact would be limited to rumors, it's not yet clear if it will be damaging to the local economy. Residents say they feel "shikataganai” — meaning helpless.“If you ask me what I think about the water release, I’m against it. But there is nothing I can do to stop it as the government has one-sidedly crafted the plan and will release it anyway,” he said.
Suzuki is among those who are not fully convinced by the government’s awareness campaign that critics say only highlights safety. “We don’t know if it's safe yet,” Suzuki said. “We just can’t tell until much later.” The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to make room for the plant’s decommissioning, and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks because much of the water is still contaminated and needs retreatment.
His wife evacuated to her parents’ home in Yokohama, near Tokyo with their four children, but Okawa stayed in Iwaki to work on reopening the store. In July, 2011, Okawa resumed sale of fresh fish —but none from Fukushima. China plans to step up import restrictions and Hong Kong restaurants began switching menus to exclude Japanese seafood. Agricultural Minister Tetsuro Nomura acknowledged some fishery exports from Japan have been suspended at Chinese customs, and that Japan was urging Beijing to honor science.
Radioactivity of the treated water is so low that once it hits the ocean it will quickly disperse and become almost undetectable, which makes pre-release sampling of the water important for data analysis, said University of Tokyo environmental chemistry professor Katsumi Shozugawa.
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