April 4, 2024
TOKYO – Underwater racks of aosa seaweed are ready for harvest in the Matsukawaura seaside lake in Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. Many racks of the blueish-green seaweed, a specialty product of the city, were lost following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and shipping was suspended until 2018 due to the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The production volume of aosa is about a quarter of what it used to be before the disaster, but the surface area used by the racks is gradually returning to former levels. The harvest continues through April.