Saturday, May 21, 2011

Japan's PM Kan Forced Chinese and Korean Counterparts to Eat Fukushima Vegetables and Fruits


It was not enough for Prime Minister Kan to make the Emperor and Empress of Japan visit Fukushima, have them eat Fukushima food and bring some back home as souvenirs for the imperial household that has small children (including the future emperor of Japan).

(In the photo, from the left: Fukushima Governor Sato, Japan's PM Kan, Korean President Li, and Chinese Premier Wen.)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Korean President Lee Myung-bak had to go along with Kan, visit Fukushima, and do the obligatory "It's so delicious it is safe" performance by eating cherries and cucumbers grown in Fukushima to counter "baseless rumors" that the food may be contaminated with radioactive materials. (Radiation is a rumor, and safety is a religion in Japan among TPTB, in case you haven't noticed.)

They are in Japan for the trilateral summit (which by itself irks a growing number of Japanese, but that will be another post).

From Asahi Shinbun (10:29PM JST 5/21/2011):

 21日午後、3人の首脳は福島市内の県営あづま総合体育館を訪れた。菅首相が温首相と李大統領に近付いて「福島県産の野菜があります」と手招きし、アスパラガスやトマト、イチゴが並んだ長机の前へ。3人はサクランボをほおばり、キュウリをかじった。

On the afternoon of May 11, the three premiers visited one of the evacuation shelters (a large gym run by the prefectural government) in Fukushima City. Prime Minister Kan approached Premier Wen and President Li and invited them over to the table where the vegetables and fruits produced in Fukushima were displayed. There were asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries. The three sampled cherries and ate cucumbers.

李大統領は名取市で犠牲者に献花、黙祷(もくとう)した後、「すべての韓国国民が私に温かい心を伝えてくれと言った。(震災直後に秩序を守った)日本国民の節制された姿と勇気には世界が驚いた」と記者団に語った。

President Li dedicated flowers and prayed for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Natori City, and said "All citizens of Korea have told me to convey their deep sympathy to the Japanese. The courage and the stoicism of the Japanese people (after the quake/tsunami) has so impressed the world."


Well, I wish they hadn't been so orderly and stoic. For their stoicity and perseverance, many of them are still living in shelters, sleeping on a floor of a gym and other cavernous public halls, partitioned by cardboard.

I have nothing more to say about this silly performance by old men eating Fukushima vegetables, other than: "When these people say it's safe, don't buy, don't eat."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is truly a disgusting and a disgraceful attempt to try and convince the Asian people as well as the world that radioactive foods from
fukushima city are safe.

Anonymous said...

How do YOU know they ate Fukushima food? DUHHH, I don't THINK so!!!! They ate something they CALLED Fukushima food, so that everyone else WOULD eat it....Get REAL!!! They did NOT eat Fukushima Food. It is PR at its' WORST!!!

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

@anon 1:33, how do YOU know they didn't?

Anonymous said...

@anon
Try to imagine these premiers as being uneducated morons, if you can. You don't get into such a high-ranking position unless you have something on top of your shoulders. They know what has been going on in Fukushima and are not so stupid they would willingly commit suicide for some pathetic Japanese publicity stunt. Yeah they have obligations so they fulfill them by eating stuff that didn't come from Fukushima and only the most gullible will believe it really was Fukushima produce.

Look, only a few days ago the government ordered mass-slaughter of animal life because there was nothing there for them to eat other than contaminated food. And now they want to have you believe that miraculously the food escaped contamination?

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

It's very interesting that people think they faked it.

Sadly, as a Japanese who knows a thing or two about how these people operate in Japan, I do believe it was actually Fukushima vegetables and fruits.

Anonymous said...

A friend visited our univeristy in NZ from Tokyo. He is a professor of research there.
I took the opportunity to wave a Geiger counter over him, and his clothes.

He was somewhat radioactive ... especially his clothes!!!
He said that he is past carrying about radiation as he is old, and it does not worry him that he will die, but he has removed his sons from Tokyo to other countries immediately after the disaster.
He lives a short distance from the Emporers Palace, so I can only assume that it is just as radiaoctive there as elsewhere in the city.

Anonymous said...

Robbie001 sez:

Eating a little nuclear "fugu" doesn't impress anyone with even a little common sense. I believe they ate a little "hot" food after all these bozos get to go home at the end of the week and their kids aren't being chronically exposed. I wonder if these same apologist would subject their families to years of constant exposure and the threat of things getting worse at a moments notice. When these guys start sending their kids to the effected regions as exchange students then they'll be making a statement. Otherwise staged events like this one only serve to prove how desperate the nuclear apologist are.

What I want to know is are these guys going to attend the annual Fukushima beach party?

http://es-la.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2204453003&topic=2680

Anonymous said...

Japan is screwed, they are desperately trying to remain economic but who will by radioactively contaminated goods from them abroad now? No-one. Their cars are being turned back, containers are arriving radioactive and they put their Yen/Dollar above our safety. NO WAY. I can see them upping sticks and going to live in China soon.

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