Fukushima. Radiactive Cesium Contamination of Japan’s Food Chain.
Almost all edibles contain radioactive cesium. Rivers and lakes are contaminated
The Japanese people are beset by a food chain that has been thoroughly compromised by radioactive cesium.
As a result, there is no longer any public confidence in the integrity of Japan’s food inspection system.
Almost all edibles tested in Japan contain radioactive cesium, and it has now been verified that shiitake mushrooms in Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture have tested above the statutory limit for radioactive cesium. Thus, radioactive cesium has now spread far beyond Fukushima Prefecture.
Like the HIV-tainted blood scandal of the 1980’s, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has once again been blindsided due to the lack of a proactive plan.
Radioactive cesium has been detected in the food chain numerous times.
A partial listing includes:
tap water, milk, eggs, rice, plankton, fish, Iwana mountain trout (Salvelinus pluvinus), smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis), seals, cabbage, spinach, parsley, green onions, cucumbers, shiitake and nameko mushrooms, broccoli, bamboo shoots, wasabi, plums, green tea, rice straw, hares (Lepus brachyurus angustidens), wild boar, bear, beef, baby formula, and mothers’ milk. However, I doubt that a soil decontamination project will be attempted due to the huge expense.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on January 27, 2012 that beef contaminated with radioactive cesium (at least 300 becquerels per kilogram) from thousands of head of cattle had been sold, and most likely already consumed. According to radioactivity testing results published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on January 31, 2012, Iwana mountain trout (Salvelinus pluvinus) from Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture had high contamination levels for both cesium-134 (328 becquerels per kilogram) and cesium-137 (440 becquerels per kilogram). Wild boar has exceeded the government’s limit (100 becquerels per kilogram for solid foods as of April 1, 2012) in numerous prefectures. There is now virtually continuous testing of edibles in many prefectures of Japan, and more than 2,300 samples (as of August 2, 2012) have tested over the statutory limits for radioactive iodine and/or cesium. Radioactive cesium is also now being detected in food products manufactured in Japan. Therefore, there is extreme concern about short selling of food sector equities listed on Japanese stock exchanges.
Half-Lives of Radioactive Isotopes
Radioactive Isotope
Half-Life
Tritium (Hydrogen-3)
12.32 years
Carbon-14
5,730 years
Strontium-89
50.57 days
Strontium-90
28.9 years
Yttrium-91
58.5 days
Technetium-99
211,100 years
Iodine-131
8.02070 days
Cesium-134
2.0648 years
Cesium-137
30.17 years
Polonium-210
138.39 days
Uranium-238
4,468,000,000 years
Plutonium-239
24,100 years
Plutonium-240
6,500 years
Plutonium-241
14 years
Americium-243
7,370 years
Contaminated Rivers, Lakes and Bays
In Fukushima Prefecture, Lake Akimoto, Lake Hibara, Lake Onogawa, Lake Numazawa, Lake Inawashiro, Mano River, Nagase River, Ota River, Abukuma River, Niida River, Su River, Tadami River, and the Nippashi River have produced contaminated fish. As of April 17, 2012, the Hitachi-Tone River and Hanazono River in Ibaraki Prefecture have also produced contaminated fish.
Lake Chuzenji and the Kinu River, Naka River, Kuro River, Oashi River, and Yosasa River in Tochigi Prefecture have also produced contaminated sockeye salmon, brown trout, masu salmon, and Japanese dace as of April 25, 2012. Lake Onuma and the Numao River in Gunma Prefecture have produced contaminated masu salmon. The Otsu River, Tone River, and Edo River (all in Chiba Prefecture), the Ubugasawa River, Surikami River, and Takamori River (all in Fukushima Prefecture), and the Mogami River (Yamagata Prefecture) are also on the Watch List.
Prefecture
Watch List of Contaminated Rivers, Lakes and Bays
Aomori
Hachinohe Bay
Yamagata
Mogami River
Iwate
Iwai River, Satetsu River, Kesen River, Koromo River, Unosumai River, Wayama River, Yahagi River, Hirose River, Miyako City Bay, Sakari River, Kamaishi City Bay, Sarugaishi River
Miyagi
Okura River, Kijio River, Sumi River, Yoko River, Uchi River, Kinkazan Bay, Yuriage Bay (Natori City), South Sanriku Bay, Ninokura Bay (Iwanuma City), Shobudahama Bay, Watari-Arahama Bay, Natori River, Oh River, Sanhasama River, Oda River, Handa River, Takakura River, Shiroishi River, Ofukazawa River, Matsu River, Nigori River, Ara River, Yu River, Eai River, Hamaichi Bay (Higashi-Matsushima City), Sendai Bay, Nihasama River, Tozawa River, Yamamoto-cho Bay, Kitakami River, Goishi River, Taro River, Ichihasama River, Yoshidahama Bay, Arao River, Watari Bay, Abukuma River
Fukushima
Lake Akimoto, Lake Hibara, Lake Onogawa, Lake Numazawa, Lake Inawashiro, Mano River, Nagase River, Ota River, Abukuma River, Niida River, Su River, Tadami River, Nippashi River, Ubugasawa River, Surikami River, Takamori River, Nojiri River, Yuzawa River, Oshio River, Aga River, Ichinoto River, Araumi River, Funatsu River, Kuchibuto River, Gohyaku River, Oishi River, Kuji River, Shirako River, Miya River, Sugita River, Adatara River, Watarase River, Natsui River, Onahama Bay, Ena Bay (Iwaki City), Gofukuya River, Tatsusawa River, Kajiya River, Takiya River, Same River, Name River, Shakado River, Ebana River, Sasahara River, Otakine River, Ouse River, Rokkaku River, Ara River, Matsu River, Hirose River, Shiono River, Oguni River, Ina River, Masuzawa River, Fuzawa River, Amado River, Sanbyaku River, Tateiwa River, Karasu River, Otani River, Ishida River, Okura River, Ishimushiro River, Komaizawa River, Ubado River, Yata River, Fuzo River, Sakuma River, Shichise River
Ibaraki
Hitachi-Tone River, Hanazono River, Hitachi City Bay, Hitachinaka City Bay, Hokota City Bay, Kashima City Bay, Kita-Ibaraki City Bay, Oarai-machi Bay, Takahagi City Bay, Lake Kasumigaura, Naka River
Tochigi
Lake Chuzenji, Kinu River, Naka River, Kuro River, Oashi River, Yosasa River, Hoki River, Ojika River, Arai River, Nishi-Ara River, Ara River, Kobyaku River, Awano River, Mumo River, Yu River, Watarase River, Fukazawa River, Mikouchi River, Koshin River, Mochigase River
Gunma
Lake Onuma, Numao River, Shima River, Kanai River, Kamisawatari River, Nakuta River, Kenjo River, Ima River, Sakura River, Karasu River, Usune River, Agatsuma River, Momonoki River, Konaka River, Nuru River
Chiba
Otsu River, Tone River, Edo River, Tega River, Tega Marsh
Kanagawa
Lake Ashino
Saitama
Naka River
Continuous Testing of Edibles
Source
Item
Testing Organization
Sample
Collection
Date
Results
Confirmation
Date
Test Results (Becquerels/Kg)
Cesium-134
Cesium-137
Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Raw
Shiitake mushrooms
Health and Environment Center, Hiroshima Prefectural Technology Research Institute
Unreported
Unreported
380
Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture
Asian black bear
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
06/28/2012
08/02/2012
51.7
83
Kawamata-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
06/24/2012
08/02/2012
170
249
Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Asian black bear
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
06/29/2012
08/02/2012
213
322
Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/01/2012
08/02/2012
450
691
Hanawa-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/01/2012
08/02/2012
73.9
121
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/03/2012
08/02/2012
80
125
Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/13/2012
08/02/2012
162
244
Hanawa-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/13/2012
08/02/2012
45.5
68.9
Minami-Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/20/2012
08/02/2012
794
1,220
Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture
Wild boar
Environmental Radioactivity Monitoring Center of Fukushima
07/23/2012
08/02/2012
264
409
Nasu-Shiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
Tawny
milkcap mushrooms
Tochigi Prefectural Institute of Public Health and Environmental Science
07/28/2012
08/01/2012
390
600
Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture
Tawny
milkcap mushrooms
Tochigi Prefectural Forestry Research
Center
07/30/2012
08/01/2012
1,160
1,820
Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture
Tawny
milkcap mushrooms
Tochigi Prefectural Forestry Research
Center
07/31/2012
08/01/2012
60.2
116
Nakagawa-machi, Tochigi Prefecture
Tawny
milkcap mushrooms
Tochigi Prefectural Forestry Research
Center
07/31/2012
08/01/2012
227
353
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Ainame
Rock trout
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
118
202
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Stone
flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
99.8
151
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Common
Skate
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
243
398
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Rockfish
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
87.8
147
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Slime
flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
84.3
120
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/24/2012
07/31/2012
59.6
84.6
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
39.6
69.7
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Common Japanese conger
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
43.0
75.2
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Littlemouth flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
57.3
93.3
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Marbled
sole
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/24/2012
07/31/2012
50.3
93.4
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Marbled
sole
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
125
163
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Flathead
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
62.1
83.9
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture
Spotbelly rockfish
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
149
239
Hirono-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Ainame
Rock trout
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
125
210
Shinchi-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Black
sea bream
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/26/2012
07/31/2012
48.3
61.7
Hirono-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Sea
raven
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/30/2012
07/31/2012
55.2
90.4
Namie-machi, Fukushima Prefecture
Slime
flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/24/2012
07/31/2012
118
199
Minami-Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture
Flounder
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/23/2012
07/31/2012
48.3
69.6
Abukuma River (Motomiya City, Fukushima Prefecture)
Japanese
eel
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/19/2012
07/31/2012
55.6
82.3
Sugita River (Otama-mura, Fukushima Prefecture)
Masu
salmon
Fukushima Agricultural Technology Center
07/22/2012
07/31/2012
93.6
147
Jim Bartel has been a Japanese-English translator for more than 20 years.
The unabridged version of “The Tears of Sanriku” is available at:
