It's been just over three weeks since China increased checks on Japanese food imports over radiation concerns, but Kazuyuki Tanioka is already fearful for the future of his upscale Beijing sushi restaurant.
Like most restaurants in China, Tanioka's eight-year-old Toya has struggled with years of COVID-19 restrictions, which only began to ease late last year.
Now it is facing a shortage of both customers and seafood ahead of Japan's plans to empty into the sea treated radioactive water from its disaster-stricken Fukushima nuclear plant.
"I'm very worried about whether we can continue," said the 49-year-old chef-restaurateur from Kumamoto, southern Japan. "The inability to import food ingredients is truly a life or death situation for us."
China is the biggest importer of Japanese seafood. Shortly after the 2011 tsunami and earthquake damaged the Fukushima plant, it banned the import of food and agricultural products from five Japanese prefectures. China later widened its ban, which now covers 10 out of Japan's total of 47.
It has remained Japan's biggest seafood export market.
The latest import restrictions were imposed this month after the United Nation's nuclear watchdog approved Japan's plans to discharge the treated water. China has sharply criticized the move, which has also faced opposition at home, saying the discharge endangers marine life and human health.
Imports have since all but ground to a halt, with some Japanese officials fearing the worst is yet to come. The more stringent Chinese checks have led to massive delays at customs, and the strident warnings have kept customers away: posts and hashtags saying Japanese food is radioactive and should be boycotted are rife on Chinese social media.
"China is saying it is contaminated water, while Japan claims it is purified water," said Kenji Kobayashi, 67, another Japanese restaurant owner in Beijing, who has lost up to a third of his customers this month.
"The difference between the two perspectives is vast, and it affects the level of understanding."
ALTERNATE SOURCES
Seafood suppliers are also struggling.
Wait times at Chinese ports have gone up from between two and seven days to around three weeks, a spokesman for a large seafood trader said, adding that the company plans to get around these restrictions by diverting shipments to a third country. The spokesman declined to name the company, fearing backlash from Chinese officials.
"Right now we have no shipments to China," said Tamotsu Fukuoka, director and general manager of sales at Aomori Chuosuisan Co, a seafood wholesaler based in northern Japan.
"If the products get stopped at customs, we would have to spend a lot for the yard and storage fees, and that's something we don't want to see."
While Japanese officials have appealed to their Chinese counterparts, especially in their second-largest market Hong Kong, to avoid a ban, several Chinese diners said they approved of more stringent checks. "Any government should be responsible for the safety of its citizens," said Duan, a patron at a Japanese restaurant in Beijing. "Because of the government's policies, we feel at ease."
With Japan due to begin discharging the Fukushima water in a few weeks, some Japanese restaurateurs said they are adapting their menus and sourcing ingredients from elsewhere to survive.
"Our main focus is to source seafood within China or sourcing from other foreign suppliers," Tanioka said. "If these efforts succeed, there is a possibility that our business can continue in the future."
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.
22 Comments
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kiwiboy
They should get their customers to watch this. I'd be more scared of the food in China than I would be of the Fukushima fish
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tytSIir3pKA&ab_channel=ChinaUncensored
OssanAmerica
Japan should just ban seafood exports to China. Domestic seafood prices are way overpriced because most have been exported out of the country reducing supply. The Japanese seafood industry from fishing cooperatives to distributors need to help the Japanese economy by offering the unexportable surplus to the domestic market at lower prices to help the Japanese consumer.
Fighto!
If people in China followed the science - and not anti-Japan politics - they'd realise there is nothing to fear.
Chinese produce, on the other hand, IS something to fear. They really should start worrying about the contaminants in that.
Reginald Bok
Having lived in Japan for almost 10 years, I have no qualms about eating Japanese seafood. I also lived in China for almost 5 years, didn't like the food, and would happily never eat Chinese food ever again.
But completely respect the Chinese worries about eating Japanese fare
Yubaru
For a country that is not even close to being self-sufficient in food production, it sure exports a ton of food products to China.
I am sorry, but I have zero sympathy for businesses like this in China.
Yubaru
This has been a problem from the 1990's There were containments found in Chinese frozen vegetables, like spinach and edamame and others. My family stopped buying anything from China at least 20 years ago.
Stay away from the unagi!
https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2006/november/food-safety-improvements-underway-in-china/
Roy Sophveason
I'm really trying to be sympathetic to their situation, but really what were they expecting? They built a business that is entirely at the mercy of China's capricious whims towards Japan.
And as can be observed right now, China does not even need a good reason to kick Japan in the shins. If it's not Fukushima, it'll be something else. Any reason is welcome for a demonstration of strength in foreign policy to their own population.
sakurasuki
China doesn't caused the meltdown, China doesn't decide dumping contaminated to the sea.
China does option to accept or to reject, there's so many country that willing to supply food to China.
lunatic
South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Russia, etc. are the ones to blame for not accepting the japanese release of wastewater.
Japan is always the victim.
tora
Replace the word "Chinese" with "Japanese" and you might be closer to what this article is about. Fixed it:
Japanese produce, on the other hand, IS something to fear. They really should start worrying....
Roy Sophveason
What exactly do you fear in Japanese produce? Radioactivity? The only thing to be somewhat careful about is wild mushrooms. (Which is hardly surprising, wild mushrooms still test above limits in Central Europe, almost 40 years after Chernobyl.)
factchecker
The hundredth article that doesn't tell use when they plan to start the discharge.
sf2k
what do they expect? Of course there are consequences
sf2k
also countries will just start banning Japanese products since they can't be sure the label is the truth
ian
They'll be testing the imports so hopefully after it's established that the imports are ok sales and shipments will pickup.
Of course that's assuming the exports from here are ok
Wesley
I think if the china-nese were honest, they would admit that Japanese food is safer than china-nese food.
But they are not honest.
Wesley
This is a FANTASTIC post!
Thanks for the link! It's really an eye-opener about the double standards from that country.
Hercolobus
Many years ago the nuclear reactor from Tokaimura had a radiation incident. I read that the Peruvian government gifted Japan a shipment of Cat’s Claw herb as a form of treatment for radiation exposure. They also did a similar gift to China too.
deanzaZZR
India's economy is 1/6 the size of China.
Ronin Tsukebin
Au contraire mon frère. I never ever feared getting infected by covid at all. But I prefer not eating fish caught off the shore of Fukushima for the time being but if you took me to the best sushi restaurant there I would not turn it down. I keep an open mind.
englisc aspyrgend
Fine, good idea, source locally in China and run the risk of poisoning your customers.
This whole overblown “reaction” from the Chinese state (let’s be honest, the population only know what they are allowed to be told by the state media/propaganda machine) is at best panic based on ignorance or cynically induced for political motives.
kyushubill
CCP and Xi the Pooh Grand Emperor Chairman Dude moan and whine but their dumping of nuke materials is by far worse. Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tySlir3pKA