According to the Asahi Shimbun Digital on September 30, each person should eat five scallops — and they are delicious. Ichiro Miyashita, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, made this appeal at a press conference on September 29. China and Hong Kong have tightened import restrictions on Japanese marine products due to the release of treated water from TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The aim is to minimize damage to fishermen by encouraging domestic consumption of scallops from Hokkaido and other areas that have been severely affected by the disaster.
According to MAFF, 179,000 tons of scallops were exported from Japan to China and Hong Kong annually (in 2022). One scallop with shell weighs 200 to 250 grams. Using this weight, it is logical that if each citizen ate 5 to 7 scallops per year, they would be able to digest much of the exported scallops that have lost their way. Japan’s domestic consumption is 220,000 tons per year, which, if included, would amount to more than a dozen grains per year.
Mr. Miyashita also held a placard that read “#Eat Nippon! and appealed to people to eat one scallop every month for 12 grains a year, but since it is a bit too much to eat one scallop each month, he asked people to support him by eating a scallop dish containing several scallops twice a year.
Eat scallops domestically and export them overseas
For inquiries about exporting Hokkaido scallops, scallops, whiskey, sake, and other alcoholic beverages overseas, please contact
info@kofukutrading.com
So, eat your scallops and see you again next time on K-blog.