Test Case

The food from Fukushima has been deemed safe for consumption. But is the name still radioactive?

- By Matthew Kronsberg

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.

This month marks the 11th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that killed almost 16,000 people and caused the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Afterward, exports of food and drink from there and surrounding prefectures were halted or severely curtailed.