Viva Shiitake

Food. Food connects all of us: having dinner with our families, having a party with our dearest friends, or just having something good after a long and hard day of work. The farmers that grow this food, work as hard as they do because the satisfaction of feeding someone is unmatched. However, the farmers of Fukushima were snatched away from their noble work by the tragic “Great East Japan Earthquake”, 7 years ago, which caused one of the most dangerous nuclear disasters. 7 years later, the government and people of Fukushima have worked to prevent the spread of nuclear pollution, so that in many areas; life has resumed and farmers are back in their lands doing what makes them happy and spreading their joy to those that eat their food. On 2nd February 2024, one such farmer’s Shiitake mushroom fed the students from the Future Global Leadership (FGL) program of Tohoku University, completely free of any cost, just to show how safe and delicious the mushroom is.

Specifically, Watanabe-san, an experienced farmer in Fukushima, is collaborating with Professor Takeshi Koike to promote the Fukushima Shiitake mushroom. As part of this collaboration, FGL students were invited to an event in which they got to taste the fresh Shiitake, Negi, and learn how Shiitake is grown with utmost care and dedication. Becoming aware of the production process of mushrooms showed us exactly how their safety is ensured. Interestingly, before the event, more than half of the students had concerns about the safety of Fukushima agricultural products. However, this number dropped to only 30% afterward, showing how events like these can reduce the stigma attached to the region. Moreover, Watanabe-san communicated directly with the students and answered any questions they had. In the end, all participants had a positive image of the safety and taste of Shiitake as well as other Fukushima agricultural products.

In conclusion, the event not only cleared the prejudice towards Fukushima but also allowed international students to have a better understanding of its growing agriculture and passionate farmers. In the future, with events like these, the day when Fukushima’s agricultural products recover their worthy reputation will not be far away.