In the same week, two seemingly unrelated events occurred. First, they began removing the highly radioactive fuel residue from Fukushima, a process that could take 100 years to complete. On the other side of the planet, luxury department store Harrods in London has elevated some peaches to cult status. The three pieces cost around 100 euros to exchange, and they are grown in Fukushima.

The most expensive fruit in the world. The mountainous region of Fukushima is Japan’s second-largest producer of peaches, accounting for more than a quarter of the industry. Harrods knows this, and in October last year it surprised the world by selling a “limited run” of these peaches from the now-infamous disaster area at its annual Japan Festival in London. It sold out on the first day, and the luxury store saw its fortunes.

Peaches are prized for their exceptional flavour, perfect shape and reputation as the sweetest in the world, with twice the sugar content of the usual supermarket varieties. Harrods has now made them a must-have for the elite: a three-pack of the first unusually sweet peaches cost £80 and went on sale last Saturday.

Is there any danger? In fact, it was the first time Fukushima peaches had been sold in a British store and the move came amid fears about the risk of radioactive contamination of food products in the area.

The sales campaign is being run by Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), the operator of the Fukushima plant and now responsible for its dismantling. The backdrop: an effort to remove negative connotations and improve export sales to help the region recover.

Restrictions have ended in England. The site chosen is no coincidence. The UK lifted the last of its import restrictions on food products from Fukushima, mainly fish and shellfish, in 2022. These products are imported into the UK only in small quantities and sold to Japanese restaurants and speciality shops.

The move essentially included a public statement from Japan thanking the UK for making decisions “based on scientific evidence” to help “rebuild” the region 13 years after the planet’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

And is it worth the cost? This week, the Telegraph conducted an “unboxing” of sorts after purchasing three of the precious and expensive fruits. In the media’s opinion, the ones they tried at least didn’t justify the exorbitant price tag. The fruit was described as “disappointing”, adding that the peach was “hard, with no flavour that would make you stop and justify paying £2.25 for a bite”.

From 2011 to today. As many will recall, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant collapsed in March 2011 after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake created devastating tsunami waves that caused meltdowns in three reactors.

Such was the situation that over 150,000 residents across the region were forced to evacuate; thousands of them never returned, and this was despite radiation levels having dropped to livable levels.

Agriculture is in shock. Known for its peaches as well as its rich agricultural heritage in Japan, the region is famous for its cherries, pears and grapes, meticulously cultivated by local farmers. In addition, the local seafood, fine white rice and nihonshu sake are famous throughout Japan.

But the sector was mortally wounded after the 2011 nuclear disaster, with farmers and fishermen particularly hard hit by safety concerns over radiation, despite regular testing and government assurances that food is safe.

Removal work begins. As we said at the beginning, the news that peaches were being sold at the price of gold at Harrods emerged at a time when work began to remove the highly radioactive remains of the destroyed Fukushima factory using robots.

An attempt will be made to recover the approximately 900 tons of extremely hazardous materials trapped inside the reactors, which is expected to be a long-term and probably the most delicate and dangerous task. This is Japan, and they will take their own time. The job could take a century to complete.

Image | IAEA Image Bank, Public Domain

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