Monitoring Countries for Fukushima Chosen by IAEA, Says Chief Cabinet Secretary

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:49 JST, September 20, 2023

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Tuesday that the countries monitoring seawater around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant as part of an international mechanism are chosen by the International Atomic Energy Agency. His comment came as the Chinese Embassy in Japan demanded on its website that Beijing be allowed to participate in the monitoring.

China has criticized the Japanese government’s response, calling the treated water discharged from the Fukushima plant “nuclear-contaminated wastewater.”

Matsuno explained that the comparative analysis of monitoring results is being conducted by the IAEA and third-party countries and research institutions selected by the U.N. body.

The government’s top spokesperson urged China to base its arguments on scientific evidence.

Matsuno also expressed deep regret over the drop in China’s seafood imports from Japan in August and renewed the government’s demand for an immediate end to import restrictions.