By Martin Banks - 16th May 2011
Image is very important
Norio Maruyama
Japan's ambassador to the EU has called for "stringent" restrictions on food imports from the earthquake-stricken country to be lifted "as soon as possible".
Norio Maruyama called for the easing of restrictions on Japanese food imports imposed after the earthquake and tsunami that led to a radiation leak from a Japanese nuclear plant.
Speaking to this website, he said there should be "appropriate relaxation" of restrictions on trade imposed after the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
"The restrictions on imports of Japanese foods, based on the current scientific data, should be lifted as soon as possible."
He said he hoped the EU would agree to such a move to coincide with a key EU-Japan summit in Brussels at the end of this month.
He said that while current food imports to the EU were "very, very small", the impact of the restrictions on Japan's image had been "very damaging".
"Image is very important and these restrictions have given the impression that food exported from Japan is dangerous and this is not the case," he said.
"I would like you to respond accordingly based on these data and I believe we have reached an understanding," Japanese foreign minster Takeaki Matsumoto said, according to an interpreter.
His comments come after the UK said last month it would further reinforce its radiation controls on imports of food and animal feed from Japan in response to the nuclear crisis.
Germany, Britain and France have imposed extra checks on Japanese food imports such as soy sauce and shellfish to ensure they are free of radioactivity. Many other countries stopped or restricted food imports from Japan after the earthquake.
The EU restrictions also cover other items such as raw milk, turnip and bamboo shoots.
Maruyama, who took up his post just two months ago, said that current radiation levels at the Fukushima plant were almost back to the levels before the earthquake.
The diplomat, one of three Japanese ambassadors to the EU, also pointed out that radioactivity levels at Fukushima were "no worse" than those faced in everyday activities.
