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Fukushima water release: speak quietly in China, Japan warns citizens as backlash grows

  • Japanese people visiting or living in China should avoid speaking their mother tongue in a loud voice, Japan’s foreign ministry said
  • It follows reports of harassment in response to Japan’s discharge of treated waste water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant

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A man walks past a Japanese restaurant in Shanghai. The discharge of treated waste water from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has provoked fury and unease among the Chinese public. Photo: EPA-EFE
Bloomberg
Japan’s government warned its citizens to take precautions when visiting China, after reports of harassment in response to Tokyo’s discharge of treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said citizens visiting or living in China should avoid speaking Japanese in a loud voice, and should pay close attention to their surroundings if visiting the embassy or consulates.

In a statement on its website, the ministry also urged people to stay away from any demonstrations against the Fukushima water release and avoid taking pictures of such events. The ministry also advised those travelling to China to leave an itinerary and contact numbers with their friends, family and employers at home.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Monday that incidents of harassment were extremely regrettable and worrying. The government has urged China to encourage its citizens to behave calmly, he added.

05:55

Japan starts releasing treated nuclear waste water from Fukushima nuclear plant

Japan starts releasing treated nuclear waste water from Fukushima nuclear plant
Japan last week conducted the first of a long-planned series of releases of treated waste water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was wrecked by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said the plan is safe and in line with global standards.
While China conducts similar releases from its own nuclear plants, it has criticised Japan over the discharges, which have provoked fury and unease among the Chinese public. Stones were thrown at a Japanese school in Qingdao last week and another Japanese school elsewhere in China was pelted with eggs, TV Asahi reported, citing diplomatic sources.
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