5 more companies, over 300km from Fukushima, detect radiation in their tea above legal limits after the Governor initially refused to test the tea for radiation. 10 year-olds forced to pick raw tea leaves in the rain, make it and drink it as part of a propaganda show to assure the public everything is safe.

Story Highlights

• The Prefecture Governor refused to bulk test tea in the area, declaring all tea safe after some initial tests, saying he did not want to confuse the consumer about tea safety by sending mixed messages. Very similar to the EPA declaration in the US.
• Previously two companies in the same prefecture detected radiation in tea above legal limits. Japan ordered the tests to be withheld from the public to protect the local economy and prevent unnecessary panic.
• Tea sold by those two companies was banned but sales from neighboring companies continued.
• Test of tea from more companies detected radiation above the legal limits in 5 more companies.
• 10 year olds were forced to pick tea in the rain and drink it as part of propaganda show.

I previously wrote that radioactive tea was found in Japan above the legal limit over 300 miles from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which prompted Japan to order the company not post the test results online due to fear of causing unnecessary panic.

Japan Censors Tests Showing Radiation In Tea Above Legal Limits Over 300 Miles From Fukushima

Japan orders tea manufacturer to withhold radiation test results from the public because it “may spread unnecessary fear” after nuclear radiation is detected in tea above legal limits 300 miles from Fukushima.

As a reference, here is a map showing the location of the Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo, and the prefecture where radiation levels in the tea is being detected above legal limits.

Ex-skf reports tea has been found above legal limits over 300 miles from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It is also revealed that a local news paper in Japan was ordered to report that radiation was only found in the final tea in only a single prefecture when in reality all the prefectures showed contamination in the tea.

That report led others to question whether or not Japan was in fact selling radioactive tea as the Government ordered the censorship of the radiation result, yet allowed sales from nearby tea plants to continue.

By George Washington

NHK notes

Radioactive cesium exceeding the legal limit was detected in tea made in a factory in Shizuoka City, more than 300 kilometers away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Shizuoka Prefecture is one of the most famous tea producing areas in Japan.

A tea distributor in Tokyo reported to the prefecture that it detected high levels of radioactivity in the tea shipped from the city. The prefectural government confirmed the contamination on Thursday, detecting 679 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium. The legal limit is 500 becquerels.

The prefecture ordered the factory to refrain from shipping out the product.

After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, radioactive contamination of tea leaves and processed tea has been found over a wide area around Tokyo.

But the Japan Times reports today:

Shizuoka Prefecture told a Tokyo-based mail order company not to say anything on its website about excessive radioactive material being found in tea from the prefecture, the retailer said Friday.

After Radishbo-ya Co. made an inquiry to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government about the matter Monday, a prefectural official told the company not to disclose the finding due to fears the message would cause unwarranted harm to Shizuoka tea growers, adding that the prefecture would confirm the finding on its own, according to the retailer.

Radishbo-ya, for its part, sent purchasers of the tea letters informing them about the radiation and offered to recall the products.

Shizuoka is a famous tea production area.

Of course, human nature is to try to cover things up, and with Japan’s economy in a tough place, the temptation is even higher. So even if Shizuoka is now (after-the-fact), admitting radiation problems, many other districts might not … at least not in a timely fashion.

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It would be nice to assume that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, EPA or other agencies are screening imports for radiation.

But given that the FDA previously assured everyone that Japanese fish were safe, that government agencies have largely stopped testing for airborne radiation and responded to the crisis by proposing that radiation standards be raised, and given that our agencies are not even really testing seafood in the Gulf for pollution, I am not so hopeful.

Today, NHK is reporting that 5 more plants over detected radioactive tea over legal limits in their products at distances of over 300 kilometers from Fukushima.

Contaminated tea found at 5 more plants

Radioactive cesium exceeding Japan’s legal limit has again been detected in processed tea from Shizuoka City, more than 300 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Shizuoka Prefecture said on Tuesday that it detected about 580 to 650 becquerels of radioactive cesium per kilogram in the processed tea from 5 out of 20 factories in Shizuoka City. The legal limit is 500 becquerels.

[…]

Source: NHK

So it appears, Mr. Washington, the answer to your question is yes, Japan was and still is selling radioactive tea.

Even worse, the Government of prefecture refused to test the test the tea from the area for radiation because it would cause unnecessary panic, instead telling citizens to “trust us, it’s safe”.

Shizuoka Governor: “We Won’t Test Our Bulk Tea for Radiation, But Our Tea Is Safe, Trust Us”

I’m losing faith in the goodness and honesty of the agricultural growers in Japan, when they are organized into an association with political clout, like JA.

Shizuoka Prefecture produces over 60 percent of all green teas (final blend) produced in Japan. Right now, it’s the season for new teas (“shincha”). Some big money at stake, but recently the high level of radioactive materials was detected from tea leaves grown in Kanagawa Prefecture (east of Shizuoka) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare wants 14 tea-growing prefectures including Shizuoka to test their bulk teas before they are further roasted and blended (“aracha”).

Shizuoka has said no. The governor of Shizuoka Heita Kawakatsu, an Oxford PhD elite who was all for Hamaoka Nuke Plant restarting its Reactor 3 back in March after the Fukushima accident, is dead set against testing the bulk teas grown and processed in Shizuoka, saying “It will just confuse the consumer if the radiation is detected.” His government tested the raw tea leaves and the final blend, found them below the provisional safety limits (500 becquerels per kilogram for raw leaves, 200 becquerels per kilogram for final blend), so he declares Shizuoka teas to be safe.

Then he hosts the “new tea” promotional event in Shizuoka, and declares “Shizuoka teas are so safe that I could drink it in gulps!” So, according to this Oxford PhD, a good-tasting tea is a safe tea. We’ve heard the similar remark from the governor of Fukushima and Fukushima JA (agricultural co-op) that Fukushima’s vegetables taste so good that they are safe.

[…]

Even more disturbing, is in a propaganda show meant to reinforce the idea to the public that everything is safe and there is no danger – only false rumors from fear mongers, 10 year old children much closer to the Fukushima were forced to pick tea in the rain and drink it.

Bando City in Ibaraki Prefecture Made 3rd-Graders Pick Tea Leaves in the Rain, Have Them Eat Tempura Made from Raw Tea Leaves

It’s hard to believe that it actually happened in the post-Fukushima Japan, but it most certainly did. For the city’s commercial tea growers, the Board of Education and teachers, it was more important to proceed with the pre-scheduled annual event and to promote the local industry (tea growing) than to ever so slightly think about the health and safety of the 10-year-olds.

The event took place on May 11, and one week later, a high level of radioactive cesium (830 becquerels per kilogram) was detected in the tea grown and harvested in Bando City.

From the now-withdrawn (but cached) web page of Iwai Sakura Shopping District (original in Japanese; not the literal or complete translation but you get the idea…):

Wednesday May 11, 2011: “Sashima Tea Field Study” – 3rd-grade pupils of elementary schools in Bando City picked tea leaves in the rain, enjoyed tempura made of raw leaves
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