Fukushima Merchants: The Japanese Government's Strong Promotion of Nuclear Polluted Water Discharge Plans Make Business Difficult to Continue, Shimao | Fukushima | Water Discharge
Not only are local fishermen in Fukushima concerned and opposed to the Japanese government's forced push for a plan to discharge nuclear contaminated water into the sea, but many local businesses in Fukushima are also concerned that the plan will make it difficult for their businesses to sustain and their lives will suffer a heavy blow once again.
Shoma City, Fukushima Prefecture is located more than 40 kilometers north of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, where Takao Nakajima operates a food supermarket. In addition to selling locally produced fresh vegetables and fruits, supermarkets also process and sell seafood produced in Fukushima. This supermarket was taken over by Takao Nakajima from his parents. For over 40 years, this small supermarket has won the trust and love of local customers through its high-quality and affordable products and honest operation.
In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting Fukushima nuclear accident caused the inability to sell Fukushima seafood. Although the situation improved later, the customer's vigilance and fear of Fukushima seafood remained difficult to dispel. Nakajima has been hesitating whether to continue operating the supermarket.
Fukushima Shoma City Supermarket Manager Takashi Nakajima: 12 years ago, after the earthquake, I thought eating Fukushima fish was really okay? Can the children eat the fish I sell? I may be indirectly killing someone. Although it has undergone safety testing, the locals still do not want to eat fish from Fukushima, and Fukushima fish cannot be sold at all. During those five years, selling Fukushima fish was very contradictory, and I didn't even have the confidence to continue operating it.
Now, 12 years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear accident. As time goes by, customers' concerns about Fukushima seafood products gradually diminish, and Nakajima's hope for the business prospects of its own supermarket has reignited. However, to his surprise, the Japanese government told him that Fukushima nuclear contaminated water was about to be discharged into the sea, which was undoubtedly another bolt from the blue for Nakajima. The supermarket, which has just turned around, is facing another heavy blow.
Fukushima Prefecture Shoma City supermarket operator Takashi Nakajima: If nuclear contaminated water is discharged into the sea, Fukushima fish will definitely not be sold, and people will not eat Fukushima fish anymore. The Japanese government is playing a word game by saying that what is being discharged is so-called "treated water", not "polluted water". They said they would dilute it before discharging it into the sea, but these have not been verified. The Japanese government only strongly told the people that this is safe, but we will not easily believe these.
Nakajima said that the Japanese government had promised not to treat nuclear contaminated water in any way without the consent of relevant parties, but now it has to break its promise and forcibly discharge it into the sea. This will make the tragedy happen again, causing the lives of the local people to suffer a fatal blow and completely shattering their expectations for a happy life.
Fukushima Prefecture Shoma City supermarket operator Takashi Nakajima: The Japanese government completely disregards the wishes of the people and wants to discharge nuclear contaminated water, which will make us face more operational difficulties and put huge psychological pressure on consumers when purchasing seafood. Therefore, the local fishing association in Fukushima strongly opposes this.
