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As China imposed a ban on Japanese seafood imports following the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) held an in-house seafood sales event claiming to support fishermen, sparking controversy both inside and outside Japan.

In-house seafood sales event by Tokyo Electric Power Company. (Photo by NHK)

On the 14th, the Mainichi Shimbun reported that TEPCO held a seafood sales event for 3,400 employees at its headquarters in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, the previous day. The event featured over 200 items, including processed scallop products from Hokkaido, which were directly impacted by China's import ban, as well as agricultural products, snacks, and alcoholic beverages from Fukushima and Miyagi Prefectures.

TEPCO has been regularly holding in-house sales events for Fukushima Prefecture products since March 2013, when the Fukushima nuclear accident occurred. This was the 87th such event.

Tomoki Kobayakawa, President of TEPCO, personally pledged to work on dispelling reputational damage (fake news) caused by the contaminated water discharge. Kobayakawa told Mainichi, "The Hokkaido scallops sold out due to strong demand," and added, "We will continue to devise measures to overcome reputational damage."

Fukushima Support Set Meal sold at Shiga Prefectural Office. (Photo by NHK)

Efforts to support the affected Fukushima region and redirect blocked seafood distribution channels domestically continue across Japan.

According to NHK, Shiga Prefectural Office is offering menus using local fish to support Fukushima. Since the previous day, the office has been selling a menu called "Fukushima Support Set Meal," which includes a local dish called "Popoyaki"?grilled Fukushima mackerel pike with green onions and ginger?along with fried fish, rice, and miso soup. Priced at 800 yen per meal, it is available not only to prefectural employees but also to the general public.

Taizo Mikazuki, Governor of Shiga Prefecture, told NHK, "In a situation where Japanese seafood cannot be exported to China, I hope everyone can eat together and show support."

Additionally, various government offices across Japan, including Hyogo Prefectural Office, are expanding menus featuring Fukushima seafood.

Fukushima specialty menu sold at a restaurant in Hyogo Prefectural Office. (Photo by NHK)

Meanwhile, TEPCO and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) are striving to expand support for fishermen affected by the situation. On the 12th, METI Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura announced at a press conference that one grant disbursement had been decided on the 4th from a 30 billion yen fund established to counter reputational damage. This is the first case of actual financial support being provided to fishermen since the fund was created.

Minister Nishimura stated, "The application for this case was submitted at the end of last month, and there are several other cases currently under consultation. We will expedite the procedures." The support funds are intended to cover costs related to the temporary purchase and frozen storage of seafood. However, METI did not disclose details regarding the types of seafood or the applicants involved.

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