Abe tells Arab ambassadors Fukushima food safe

April 17, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a meeting with ambassadors from Arab states on Tuesday emphasized the safety of food products from areas affected by the 2011 nuclear accident.

He made the point after the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization last week announced a final ruling in favor of South Korea's import ban on food from eight Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, home to the disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant where the accident occurred.

South Korea introduced the import ban after the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. <9501> plant.

"I have eaten rice from Fukushima every day and drunk water (from Fukushima), and I was able to be elected president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for the third straight time (in September last year)," Abe said at the meeting.

Abe also noted the meaning behind Reiwa, the name of Japan's next era announced earlier this month.

The new era name "expresses the birth and growth of culture as the beautiful hearts of people are drawn close," Abe explained.

Reiwa is set to start on May 1, in line with Crown Prince Naruhito's enthronement on the day, to succeed the Heisei era, which ends on April 30, when current Emperor Akihito steps down.

Abe underscored Japan's intention to continue making contributions to the Middle East, citing his government's decision this month to send two Ground Self-Defense Force officers to the command of the Multinational Force & Observers, which oversees the terms of the 1979 peace treaty signed by Egypt and Israel.

The dispatch will mark Japan's first case of international peace and security cooperation activity outside of the United Nations' supervision. The MFO is operating in the Sinai Peninsula in eastern Egypt. Jiji Press