Radiation and Tea in Japan

[Chip]

BTW, I have been waiting for someone to post more current radiation levels relevent to tea growing regions in Japan.

Thanks!

[tjsan]

Table4 Radioactivity Levels of Autumn Harvest Tea
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/sangyou/sa- ... ivity.html
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kinkyu/1fmo ... glish.html

[JBaymore]

Chip,

The link from the other thread has some updated values running into September:

http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/sangyou/sa- ... ivity.html

best,

...............john

[JBaymore]

Ah... tjsan and I posted at about the same instant!.

best,

...............john

[tjsan]

Ah... tjsan and I posted at about the same instant!.

best,

...............john

First

[JBaymore]

Ah... tjsan and I posted at about the same instant!.

best,

...............john

First

You win!

best,

.............john

[Tead Off]

Today, my wife's Japanese friend returned from Japan and presented my wife with some tea. She brought it home and said I don't know what kind of tea it is but Yoko just gave it to me. So, with a little help of wikipedia, I deciphered that it was sencha and then asked my neighbor to tell me where it was from. Shizuoka was the reply. My heart sank.

So, I wonder what my teachat friends would do with this bag. Drink it? Toss it? Give it to another Japanese friend? Pass the radiation! Seriously, if anyone can get to Bangkok by tomorrow morning, they can have it. You would have to brave the flooding that is surrounding the city and moving in on it fast. We are having our own disaster at the moment on a very large scale. But, let's not get into that.

Why do they even sell this tea in Japan if it is contaminated?

[David R.]

Why do they even sell this tea in Japan if it is contaminated?

Shizuoka doesn't necessarily mean contaminated.

[Tead Off]

Why do they even sell this tea in Japan if it is contaminated?

Shizuoka doesn't necessarily mean contaminated.

Would you drink it?

[JBaymore]

I just got back from Shizuoka. I was drinking tea, eating food, and staying there.

best,

..............john

[a.serrao]

http://www.pref.saitama.lg.jp/page/ippa ... kekka.html

[David R.]

Why do they even sell this tea in Japan if it is contaminated?

Shizuoka doesn't necessarily mean contaminated.

Would you drink it?

To be fair, maybe not a completely unknown bag of tea. I'd have to know the source. But I've drunk some 2011 tea from Shizuoka, and anyway I am going to spend 3 weeks in Japan in a few months, so...

[Chip]

TO, I hope things are not to dire there

This is really a question that each individual must answer for him/herself. I would not presume to push one way or the other, but I would state what I plan to do.

It is not an easy call. Most Western vendors have nixed the sale of Shizuoka tea for this harvest. Many Western drinkers have nixed drinking it for this harvest.

It can be ... unsettling bringing the cup to your mouth for the first time. It is a bit of a hump to get over.

I had my first Shizuoka 2011 at the WTE-East around a month ago ... which BTW was crazy good, and I brought a few samples home. While I won't be buying lots of Shizuoka tea right now, I will consider it on a case by case basis.

As I said 5 months ago, I would reassess the situation in 6 months ... I have moved up the reassessment and I will buy under the right circumstance and from the right vendor(s).

[Tead Off]

My bag is from an unknown source. It's not exactly a confidence boost when O-Cha talks about the possibility of not even selling next year's harvest in Shizuoka and that is from someone who needs to sell tea for his livelihood.

Personally, I prefer to eat organically grown foods. But, that is not possible in all circumstances. But, with tea, it is possible, and, more than possible to avoid contaminated tea. When given the choice, why would anyone consider drinking or eating contaminated foods? Has something happened to our thought process?

[David R.]

When given the choice, why would anyone consider drinking or eating contaminated foods? Has something happened to our thought process?

I recently watched a documentary called Food Inc. about US food industry which might be worth a look. Another one which is a must-see is called The Future of Food.