Chuseok Peak Contaminated Water Discharge, Department Stores Say "No Impact on Seafood Gift Sets"

Emphasis on Offshore Products and Existing Stockpiles
Strengthened In-House Seafood Inspections After Release

The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company will begin discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean on the 24th. Major domestic department stores are emphasizing that the stockpiled gift set items for the Chuseok holiday season were secured before the contaminated water issue arose, while also actively informing customers about strengthened inspections of seafood products amid concerns over a sharp decline in demand.

Models are showcasing Chuseok gift sets at Lotte Department Store.
[Photo by Lotte Department Store].

Lotte Department Store has secured more than three times the stockpile of representative seafood items such as dried yellow corvina (gulbi), dried fish (seoneo), and anchovies compared to last Lunar New Year. They explained that they have pre-stocked the expected quantities through next Lunar New Year to ensure safe purchases.

Shinsegae Department Store has also pre-secured domestic dried yellow corvina, hairtail (galchi), and tilefish (okdom) quantities through next Lunar New Year. They are introducing new products such as crustaceans and dried fish from Argentina, Canada, Ecuador, and other regions geographically distant from Japan with lower radiation risks, and plan to gradually increase these products. Among all seafood items at Shinsegae Department Store, products from the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea have nearly quadrupled compared to the previous year.

Hyundai Department Store also stated that they have already completed purchasing quantities of representative holiday gift set items such as dried yellow corvina and tilefish. The stockpiled items are stored in warehouses that strictly maintain appropriate temperatures, and for storable seafood like dried yellow corvina and hairtail, they are securing as much raw material as possible while diversifying import sources.

To alleviate consumer concerns, seafood inspections have also been strengthened. Lotte Department Store has not sold Japanese seafood since 2011 and regularly checks the results of radiation inspections conducted by the National Fisheries Products Quality Management Service, making efforts to ensure seafood safety.

Shinsegae Department Store explained that for domestic seafood, they only purchase products from regional fisheries cooperatives’ auction markets that conduct regular radiation inspections, and additionally perform radiation tests at the Shinsegae Department Store Product Science Laboratory to prepare against radiation risks.

Hyundai Department Store has completed equipping simplified radiation detectors at each store and is conducting safety inspections on some stock. They also plan to utilize high-performance radiation detectors from food research institutes after the contaminated water discharge begins.

Experts believe that ultimately, consumer anxiety must be resolved, so not only the industry’s independent efforts but also proactive government-level responses are necessary. They emphasize the need for active efforts to alleviate the amplified consumer anxiety caused by the start of Fukushima contaminated water discharge.

Domestic seafood consumption sharply declined following the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 and the Japanese government’s admission of nuclear contaminated water leakage in 2013. Junmo Park, a researcher at the Fisheries Economy Research Institute of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, revealed at a National Assembly forum this year that the average daily seafood transaction volume at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market decreased by 12.4% over three months in 2011. In 2013, seafood consumption dropped by 40% in traditional markets and by 20% each in large supermarkets and wholesale markets.

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