Local Japanese Restaurants Not Affected by Radiation Scare

Last week, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare found 99 products in Tokyo—including milk and vegetables—to be contaminated from radiation leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, it said in a statement.

Fearing the worst, the U.S.—one of the largest importers of Japanese products—has become the first nation to halt imports of fruits, vegetables, milk and milk products from affected areas. The Food and Drug Administration is turning these products away before they enter U.S. soil, but is still allowing seafood.

Are local Japanese restaurants worried about their products? No, said representatives from Gilroy’s three Japanese restaurants, which receive their most of their foodstuffs from local suppliers.

Pearl Sushi Lover, open for a year and a half, only receives only 1 percent of its products from Japan, said its manager, who chose to withhold her name. The bulk of the restaurant's supplies come directly from San Francisco, with the fish farmed locally.

When Pearl Sushi does order Japanese products, it’s through the supplier JFC International Inc. The company ships its products, such as yellowtail, frozen rather than fresh.

Still, “we have to be careful and monitor our products more closely,” said the manager, who said she has not noticed any difference in price for the small number of products from abroad.

Gilroy's other sushi restaurants, Sushi Omakase and Ninja Sushi, also receive their supplies from largely domestic sources, said representatives from the businesses.

Japan’s 9.0 quake created a tsunami that struck Fukushima Daiichi, crippling it, and causing radioactive material to seep into Fukushima and surrounding prefectures.