Will you temporarily stop purchasing Japanese Greens?

[a.serrao]

A few months ago, the fact that radioactive teas were found in Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport proves that the system works. Tests are conducted and what goes through the filtering device is ok.

Proves that the system works in Europe, certainly not in Japan.

[a.serrao]

http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/08/radi ... tures.html

[Kevangogh]

If it works so well, why haven't they turned up any Uji or Kagoshima tea with radiation in it? Because there is none...

[a.serrao]

If it works so well, why haven't they turned up any Uji or Kagoshima tea with radiation in it? Because there is none...

Partly.
But also because probably Uji and Kagoshima teas aren't really being imported in Europe at this stage?
The demand for japanese green tea has fallen so low that importers don't buy anymore.
And there's a lot of paperwork to do for obtaining the required nulla-osta for importation, so much that some farmers and exporters had given up for this year.

I can speak for the situation in Rome, Italy. Here the few tea shops that carry (or must I say carried) japanese green tea had only Shizuoka tea (Makinohara) and from 2010 harvest.

There's only one shop that I know (http://www.teaway.it) that has japanese green tea from other regions but again only from 2010 harvest.

Don't know the situation in other countries.

[Chip]

But also because probably Uji and Kagoshima teas aren't really being imported in Europe at this stage?
The demand for japanese green tea has fallen so low that importers don't buy anymore.

Really, so Japanese tea lovers just up and said, "no grazie." As a Japanese tea lover, I find this hard to believe. This is simply a supposition perhaps based your personal thinking or point of view. A Japanese tea lover WILL seek it out with due diligence and WILL be rewarded. Albeit most of us are working harder for it, but give it up??? Never!!!

Perhaps some narrow minded importers and vendors did not want to take a risk. Shame on them. Their loss. Or perhaps it simply taking them longer to adapt to the changing processes.

And there's a lot of paperwork to do for obtaining the required nulla-osta for importation, so much that some farmers and exporters had given up for this year.

How many exporters and farmers have told you this?

I doubt if exporters and farmers from Uji and Kyushu have simply thrown their hands up and said, "we just won't sell tea this year because it is more challenging." Especially when they have "clean tea." We are talking about livelihoods and need for cash ... not to mention a very resilient Japanese mind-set in the face of difficult times.

From my limited perspective I see a lot of attempts to adapt/adjust to a difficult period of time.

[Chip]

... however, this is helping to clean house of fringe vendors, etc ... and those less dedicated to Japanese tea. I have seen a few online shops stop updating, closing.

[AdamMY]

I doubt if exporters and farmers from Uji and Kyushu have simply thrown their hands up and said, "we just won't sell tea this year because it is more challenging." Especially when they have "clean tea." We are talking about livelihoods and need for cash ... not to mention a very resilient Japanese mind-set in the face of difficult times.

From my limited perspective I see a lot of attempts to adapt/adjust to a difficult period of time.

To take a slightly different side perhaps those vendors with clean tea are saying the amount of tea is more limited, so why go through the hassle of doing all the paperwork and getting the right certifications when they can sell it else where for the same price with a lot less work? It's sad for European Japanese tea lovers if that is the case, but why put in an extra days work to send out a shipment if you have no problem moving the product to places without that extra day of work?

[a.serrao]

To take a slightly different side perhaps those vendors with clean tea are saying the amount of tea is more limited, so why go through the hassle of doing all the paperwork and getting the right certifications when they can sell it else where for the same price with a lot less work? It's sad for European Japanese tea lovers if that is the case, but why put in an extra days work to send out a shipment if you have no problem moving the product to places without that extra day of work?

That's exactly what's happening, I feel.
Shohokuen of Uji told me that he's facing big problems in paperworks for exporting his tea to Europe. And his tea is clean.
In fact he didn't export his shincha at all this year.

Chip: we are talking two different channels of distribution. The one I'm referring to is the public channel, that is shops.
Of course a japanese tea lover can and will buy privately his tea online as we actually do. Myself I've bought some Shizuoka 2010 tea from O-Cha recently and I didn't encountered any problem at the customs.
Besides, the radiation controls that local customs routinely do applies only to tea sold for retail, not to tea that is bought privately.

[Kevangogh]

Sure, a.serrao knows everyone who is importing green tea into Europe . "No one" is importing it into Europe?

[Kevangogh]

There are facts, and everything else is hype. Right now most of the hype is being generated by one person who seems bitter that, while he sits on the sidelines hoping for evidence that will justify his stance not to purchase any 2011 Japanese green tea, everyone else has practically ignored him and is enjoying theirs.

If someone discovers radiation in Uji or Kagoshima green tea, let me know. Until then, there is really nothing "new" and it's a waste of time trying to disprove a negative.

[a.serrao]

There are facts, and everything else is hype. Right now most of the hype is being generated by one person who seems bitter that, while he sits on the sidelines hoping for evidence that will justify his stance not to purchase any 2011 Japanese green tea, everyone else has practically ignored him and is enjoying theirs.

If someone discovers radiation in Uji or Kagoshima green tea, let me know. Until then, there is really nothing "new" and it's a waste of time trying to disprove a negative.

Bitter?
Ahah...
Bitter (and angry) should be (and actually is) japanese people, who were (and still is) betrayed by their own government. I'm sorry for them from the day one when I didn't knew the existence of this forum. I'm sorry for all the people who had and have to face daily with the "bitterness" (this time yes) of dealing with this situation. The Japanese government arbitrarily increased the amount of "acceptable limits of radiation" a person can have, including raising child amount to the same as adults. Do you find it "responsible"? I don't.

As I said above, I don't live in Japan, nor I'll plan to do in the near future. I'm way less concerned about the Fukushima accident, being that far away. But let me be concerned if I have to deal with japanese food products. Don't I have the right to be?
Having said that, everyone is free to do whatever he/she wants.
When I post a link I'm limiting myself to report news that have a source readily available.

while he sits on the sidelines hoping for evidence that will justify his stance not to purchase any 2011 Japanese green tea

This is what YOU think, please don't put what you think in other people's mouth Kevin. I'm not nervous about it as you are.
What I have the suspect is that the whole Fukushima accident isn't perceived with sufficient gravity. Time will tell.

[Kevangogh]

If there is radiation found in Uji or Kagoshima green tea, I will quit this business and do something else, it's really no problem. In fact, although it's still profitable (surprisingly), there is still considerable personal cost that you have no idea about. I almost quit after the earthquake occurred but was helped by the Tsuen family. If it were not for their assistance, as well as long time customers supporter, I would have been finished a long time ago. I'm mentally ready to end it at any time. I would never sell green tea with radiation in it, period, I would quit first. That said, after what I and other's have gone through, I won't sit back here and listen to your hype if there IS NO radiation in the tea either. I drink this tea every single day, do you think I want my own health in danger? The bottom line is - you have not one single fact that can show that there is any level of radiation in Uji or Kagoshima green tea. Everything else is noise.

[a.serrao]

The bottom line is - you have not one single fact that can show that there is any level of radiation in Uji or Kagoshima green tea.

This is evident.
I never stated that Uji or Kagoshima teas are radioactive. Since I haven't seen any tests (I've also asked for them in this very topic) how could I affirm that these teas are radioactive?
Once I said: "I'll be interested in knowing how much (if any) radiation was accumulated in Uji and Kagoshima tea."

"IF ANY": it's a question, because I cannot say if the tea is radioactive until I don't see the tests published.

I've only asked some questions, posed some question marks.
What's the problem?

[Xell]

Better to leave out the government talk, since you can blame government in every country endlessly. Japanese government is not an exception and is far from perfect, there were many slip-ups in past that went public after some years. That's where common sense comes in, everyone has different perception of situation. Information from 'friend told me that one persons relative' etc knows something is just useless and actually believing it is even funny. Also many bloggers and news really like to simply think out or exaggerate news. It's also not really helping to get any decent decision.

There is nothing much to add already, more than enough information from respectable sources. Don't cross the line between being concerned and paranoid.

[Xell]

This is evident.
I never stated that Uji or Kagoshima teas are radioactive. Since I haven't seen any tests (I've also asked for them in this very topic) how could I affirm that these teas are radioactive?
Once I said: "I'll be interested in knowing how much (if any) radiation was accumulated in Uji and Kagoshima tea."

"IF ANY": it's a question, because I cannot say if the tea is radioactive until I don't see the tests published.

I've only asked some questions, posed some question marks.
What's the problem?

Kevin already posted a link http://www.ujicha.or.jp/kensae.pdf. Is it not enough for you?