Japan Receives Harassment Phone Calls From China After Release of Treated Nuclear Water From Fukushima

Japan started releasing its treated nuclear water from the Fukushima power plant into the ocean on Aug. 24. However, what happened next was allegedly an exchange of nuisance phone calls between Japan and China.

Japan Vs. China Over Release of Treated Nuclear Water

Following the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific, Japan claimed on Monday that it had received many "extremely regrettable" harassing phone calls, most likely from China.

In Japan, there are a lot of harassing phone calls that are thought to be coming from China. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the top government spokesman, stated at a routine news conference that these occurrences are exceedingly unfortunate and that they are concerned about it.

According to Japan's foreign ministry, Masataka Okano, the vice minister of foreign affairs, was summoned due to these calls. When questioned about the allegations of harassment at a routine press briefing on Monday, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry stated that the country was unaware of the situation.

According to the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, "a large number of nuisance calls from Japan" had also been reaching them.

A statement from the embassy claimed that the calls have "serious interference in the normal operation of the embassy and consulates."

The harassment calls were also happening at Japanese facilities in China, according to a statement from Japan's foreign ministry, which urged the government to protect Japanese nationals.

After reports of stone-throwing events against a Japanese school and consulate, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated the government had "strongly" encouraged Beijing to urge its citizens to act "calmly and responsibly."

In a crucial move toward decommissioning the Fukushima plant, which experienced triple meltdowns after being hit by a tsunami in 2011 and caused the biggest nuclear plant disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier, Japan initiated the water flow on Thursday.

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Reactions to Japan Releasing Treated Nuclear Water Into the Ocean

Several scientists were unsure of Japan's decision to release the treated nuclear water from the Fukushima power plant into the ocean. According to Tepco's website, just 30% of the tanks' approximately 473,000 tons of water have undergone thorough treatment, leaving only tritium.

Ken Buesseler, a marine radiochemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said, "The idea is, 'just trust us,'" but added that he wanted to see more detailed evaluations of what was left in the tanks, particularly those that had already undergone treatment.

Dr. Buesseler asserted that other radioactive substances, such as cesium or cobalt, would be more harmful if released into the ocean than tritium despite it being one of the least lethal radioactive compounds.

He said the administration had not considered other options, including building larger tanks or making cement using treated water. Dr. Buesseler believed the government only looked for the "cheapest, fastest solution, which is a pipe in the ocean."

Kazuya Idemitsu, a professor of nuclear engineering at Tohoku University, stated his faith in the competence of the international organization to monitor the water outflow and ensure that only water containing tritium will be routed into the ocean.