Manila — A long-standing barrier to Japanese food exports has fallen. On January 11, the Philippines removed its most stringent restrictions on agricultural and seafood imports from four Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima.
The decision, announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs, ends a requirement for radiation test certificates on shipments of meat, fruit, vegetables, and seafood from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. confirmed that his agency had eliminated the mandatory test results, which had been in place since the 2011 nuclear disaster. That catastrophe, triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami, caused triple reactor failures at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, marking the second-worst nuclear accident in history.
The incident cast a long shadow over Japan’s food exports, leading the Philippines and other nations to demand proof of safety. The testing requirements proved costly and time-consuming, effectively choking trade.
For nearly a decade, farmers and fishermen in the affected prefectures waited for this change. Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, who traveled to Manila for the meeting, expressed relief at the outcome. He indicated that improved trade relations could pave the way for expanded infrastructure projects, a key area of Japanese investment in Southeast Asia.
Locsin matched this optimism, stating he looked forward to future developments. The timing of the decision reflects Japan’s broader push to roll back post-Fukushima import bans across the region.
The Philippines, a major trading partner, had been a significant holdout. The restrictions covered not only Fukushima but also Ibaraki, Tochigi, and Gunma, prefectures near the stricken plant whose agricultural output suffered a lasting reputation hit despite scientific evidence of safety. While the Philippines did not lift all controls, it effectively elevated the restrictions from a strict ban to a more manageable framework.
The key change: no more mandatory radiation test results with every shipment. Without that paperwork bottleneck, Japanese exporters can move products faster and at lower cost.
The Japanese government welcomed the move, describing it as a positive step. This decision fits a pattern of countries easing or dropping Fukushima-related food bans in recent years. Science on contamination levels has been clear for some time, but politics and public fear kept old rules in place. The Philippines was among the last major Asian economies to hold the line.
Motegi’s visit covered the broader bilateral relationship, but the food import issue was the headline result. It sends a clear message: Japan wants its regional trade relationships back to normal and is willing to send its foreign minister to Manila to achieve that.
For farmers and seafood processors in the four prefectures, the change opens a market of over 100 million people, a real shift after a decade of restricted access.
