Many people in Hong Kong have relished Japanese culture and food amid import restrictions on marine products from some areas of the country.
Hong Kong residents joined Japanese nationals in performing the traditional Bon Odori dance as part of the Japan Autumn Festival on Saturday.
Outdoor stalls offered beefsteaks imported from the Japanese prefecture of Miyazaki, as well as shochu and awamori spirits from the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture. Visitors praised the safety of Japanese food.
The annual event began in 2016. It is jointly organized by Japan’s Consulate-General and other entities, including the Hong Kong Japanese Restaurant Association.
The president of the association, Himuro Toshio, said he strongly hopes Japan and Hong Kong will overcome challenges to realize trade free of restrictions, even though the process takes time.
Hong Kong authorities have suspended imports of seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima.
The measure came after the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began discharging treated and diluted water into the ocean in August of last year.
Water used to cool molten fuel at the plant has been mixing with rain and groundwater. The accumulated water is being treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium.
Before releasing the treated water into the ocean, the plant’s operator dilutes it to reduce tritium levels to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization’s guidance level for drinking water.