Kishida was seen on camera speaking to those selling products from Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture at Toyosu fish market and eating octopus from the region.
Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean last Thursday (August 24), prompting China, Japan’s biggest trade partner, to impose a blanket ban on the import of Japanese seafood products.
Fisheries Minister Tetsuro Nomura said last Friday (August 25) the government would take steps to diversify Japan’s fish exports for China-dependent products such as scallops. China imported more than half of Japanese scallop exports in 2022.