Skip to content
Pursuits
Businessweek

A Decade After Disaster, Fukushima Woos Diners to Trust Its Food

Most exports from the Japanese region have been deemed safe for consumption. But is the name still radioactive?

Nigiri and Sushi from Japan
Nigiri and Sushi from JapanSource: Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan
From
Reprints

A small group of chefs, restaurateurs, and retailers was invited to the Japan Society in New York City last month for a special tasting event. Sitting at well-spaced tables, they watched a demonstration on making soba noodles and heard a short talk on tenugui, or traditional printed cloths.

Each table setting had four small cups of sake and, among other goodies, a bento box with nigiri sushi—one somewhat unorthodox piece had a strip of seared A5 wagyu on top of the rice. The sake, rice, and beef had a notable distinction: They were from Japan’s Fukushima prefecture.