"Discharging Contaminated Water Immediately After International Certification: Japanese Tourism Industry Sighs"

"Discharge After Beach Season" Claim
Government Announces "Discharge Timing Maintained" Position

The Japanese government maintains its stance to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant by this summer, raising concerns among Japan's tourism industry, including beach resorts.

'Will We Lose the Blue Flag?' Restless... "Careful Discussion Needed"

A beach in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 14th, Kyodo News and others reported that beaches near Fukushima are troubled by the possibility of losing the international certification they obtained last month due to the contaminated water discharge.

According to the report, three beaches in Kesennuma (氣仙沼), Minamisanriku (南三陸), and Shichigahama (七ケ浜) in Miyagi Prefecture, adjacent to the north of Fukushima Prefecture, received the "Blue Flag" certification from the international NGO Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) in June.

The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches and boat docking facilities that meet about 30 evaluation criteria across four categories: water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and services. It is also reviewed annually to encourage maintaining a clean environment.

Among the beaches affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, these three Miyagi Prefecture beaches were the first to receive Blue Flag certification.

The Shichigahama Tourism Association applied for Blue Flag certification last November to prevent damage caused by rumors about contaminated water discharge (reputational damage?where related industry workers suffer direct or indirect harm due to false reports or misinformation). However, as the discharge date approached, they faced a difficult situation due to concerns about the impact of contaminated water on water quality and the environment.

A representative of the association said, "When we applied for certification, there was no mention of treated water (the Japanese government refers to contaminated water as treated water)," adding that they had no choice but to trust the information provided by the government necessary for water quality inspections.

The Foundation for Environmental Education reportedly took extra time in reviewing these areas due to concerns about the contaminated water discharge.

An official from the organization responsible for Blue Flag certification in Japan emphasized regarding the contaminated water discharge, "There is no precedent, so it should be discussed carefully."

"Avoid the Swimming Season" Proposal, but Japanese Government Says "No Change in Timing"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The media explained that although the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company have completed all procedural preparations for the discharge, the path to gaining understanding from fishermen and tourism industry workers remains unclear.

The tourism industry and local fishermen claim they have suffered damage continuously for about 12 years since the 2011 nuclear accident.

Because of this, Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of the Komeito Party, the junior partner in Japan's coalition government, proposed discharging the water outside the swimming season. He expressed this intention during a visit to Fukushima on the 2nd.

However, the Japanese government's position remains unchanged. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated in Lithuania, where he attended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on the 12th, "There is no change in the policy to discharge around summer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.