Following the official discharge of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant by the Japanese government on the 24th, worldwide reactions have been fervent. The Hong Kong government has banned imports of marine products from ten prefectures in Japan, while mainland China has prohibited the import of all Japanese marine products. A recent video by a mainlander residing in Japan tested the radiation levels at a Sushiro sushi restaurant, sparking significant online debate.
The vlogger, known as “Liu Da Ji President” on Xiaohongshu with 87,000 followers, has been living in Japan since 2017 and even started a business there. In response to Japan’s wastewater release, he previously interviewed a Japanese woman who felt that the environment wasn’t “very safe” anymore. Although she continues to consume Japanese seafood, her intake has decreased after hearing from friends in Fukushima about the declining seafood availability.
On August 24th, Liu Da Ji released a new video where he uses a Geiger counter to measure radiation levels in various locations. Initially, at what seems to be a park, the device displayed “0.16μSV/h.” At the entrance of Sushiro, the levels read even lower at “0.14μSV/h.” Inside the restaurant, while testing the ambient radiation, the device showed “0.19μSV/h”, which he noted was not a significant increase from the outdoor levels. Before consuming a plate of tuna sushi, he measured it too, with the same reading of “0.19μSV/h”, deeming it safe for consumption. His Japanese companion remarked, “It looks uncontaminated.”
After their meal, a subsequent scan of the environment showed a slight increase to “0.04μSV”, which later rose to “0.06μSV”. He concluded that there was a definitive impact, as the total radiation level during their visit ranged between “0.17μSV/h and 0.13μSV”. Liu Da Ji commented, “If this device is accurate, then Japan already has a trace amount of radiation. Maybe they’ve been discharging [the wastewater] for a while and only announced it now.” He humorously likened the situation to a child announcing the need to defecate when they’ve already done so.
Many netizens from mainland China commented they’d “avoid visiting Japan or buying any Japanese food or products.” Others expressed concerns about nuclear-contaminated rainwater. However, some informed netizens pointed out that background radiation, known as cosmic radiation, is always present. They explained that the top reading on Liu Da Ji’s device shows the current value, while the bottom reflects the cumulative total, suggesting the observed levels are typical and not a cause for concern.
According to Hong Kong’s Department of Health, radiation doses are measured in sieverts. Citizens are exposed to minimal radiation daily, such as when undergoing a chest X-ray (0.05 millisieverts) or during a long-haul flight (0.08 millisieverts). Prolonged exposure to higher radiation levels can increase the risk of cancer.