Japan has (or had) laws against importing Calif rice. It’s religion. It’s also very expensive. Any traveler returning home brings with them 4-5 pounds of cal rose. Fukushima just might have changed all that. They may be in deep doo doo.
Interesting. Thank you for that insight.
I thought it would be culturally incorrect to be seen bringing home rice when Japanese rice is forcefully declared “better.” For example, I don’t know if Shiesedo cosmetics are still owned by a Japanese company but when it was, Japanese women (US citizens) would confront other Japanese women for purchasing (or even browsing) cosmetics from other (non-Japanese) brands - you must be loyal to Japan! They would say “Why are you looking at that brand when you know Shiesido is better!?” So, the culture, even in California was to support Japanese brands. I guesstimated that no one would be willing to be seen with US rice (maybe it’s concealed?) so it makes me think that there must be a strong desire to have Cal Rose if one is willing to face the skeptical glances of others?
You know that after Fukushima, “minimum safety limits” for radiation were raised by many countries (including the US) and that Hillary promised Japan that the US would continue to import products from Japan....which makes me think products rejected by local Japanese may be imported inexpensively in the US?