Produce from Fukushima back on market as controls guarantee safety

Agriculture was one of the hardest-hit sectors after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan 11 years ago.

Due to fears of contamination, food exports collapsed there. But today thanks to the strict safety measures taken by the country, they have now almost entirely resumed. That's great news for both local producers and for consumers around the world.

In winter, blanketed white snow covers Isazawa, in the Fukushima prefecture. As the season changes, so too do the colours and a dazzling shade of orange sets over the countryside. The warm glow comes from the persimmon fields. Acre upon acre of land is dedicated to growing the fruit that has been harvested in recent months.

Junya Sato runs a family business that dries out persimmon to create Anpogaki, a sweet treat born in the Fukushima prefecture. He peels the fruit and lets it dry for two weeks for it to take on its iconic sweet scent.

The treat is known worldwide and according to Junya Sato, it has its own "specific sensation". Junya Sato used to sell three tonnes of Anpogaki a year. After the Fukushima disaster, production ground to a halt for two years.

It's a time he remembers with sadness, "producing Anpogaki was part of my daily life and when you’re told that you can’t do it for two years, you wonder what you can do instead."

Global food exports are an important part of Fukushima's economy. Products from there and neighbouring prefectures were originally restricted by 55 countries and regions amid contamination fears. Now, thanks to stringent safety measures, 41 countries have fully lifted restrictions.

A dedicated testing facility at the Yanagawa Agriculture Centre checks up to 5000 boxes of Anpogaki a day. None of them can exceed 50 Becquerels, the unit used to