Fukushima Governor explains to Brazilians about recovery

October 22, 2017

Governor promotes Fukushima's recovery in Brazil

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171022_11/

The governor of Japan's Fukushima Prefecture has explained to people in Brazil to what extent his prefecture has recovered from the 2011 nuclear accident.

Masao Uchibori held a seminar in the Latin American nation's largest city of Sao Paulo on Saturday. Ninety people attended, including Japanese-Brazilians and locals.

Uchibori said monitoring checks and other measures are in place to ensure the safety of food produced in Fukushima. He said rice and sea fish are safe to eat, as their radiation levels have been below safety standards for two consecutive years.

The governor added that Fukushima's food exports once dropped, but have since been steadily increasing.

Uchibori noted that more than 54,000 people are still living in temporary housing.

He said Fukushima continues to launch various projects with the goal of becoming a prefecture not dependent on nuclear power.

Uchibori said that, to that end, his prefecture has been exchanging technology with such countries as Denmark and Germany, and advancing the development of renewable energy.

A Brazilian participant said he had wanted to know how Fukushima is coping and that he was surprised to learn how hard people in Fukushima have been working.

The event took place at a facility established under the "Japan House" project initiated by the Japanese government to introduce the country's culture overseas.

Uchibori arrived in Brazil on Friday to attend a ceremony marking the centenary of a group of Japanese-Brazilians who emigrated from Fukushima to Brazil before World War Two.