Plans to sell Fukushima produce in Fukuoka mall abandoned over criticismFUKUOKA -- Plans to sell produce from Fukushima Prefecture in a shopping mall here to support the prefecture in the wake of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and ensuing nuclear crisis have been abandoned amid a stream of complaints and threats.
Citizens group Fukushima Shop Project, which was behind the plans, said a booth selling produce from Fukushima Prefecture was due to open in the Marinoa City Fukuoka shopping mall in Fukuoka's Nishi Ward on Sept. 17. However, after the plans became public, organizers received a stream of email complaints, including one that said, "Don't bring Fukushima's contaminated agriculture products here," and another that threatened to launch a boycott campaign.
Organizers had planned to open the booth inside Kyushu no Mura Ichiba, a store in the shopping mall that sells farm produce directly. Rather than selling fresh products, they planned to sell processed products made from produce that was harvested in Fukushima Prefecture last year -- before the nuclear crisis struck. They had said radiation tests would be conducted before products were sold in the booth.
However, the plans met a barrage of online criticism, and organizers received emails hinting that protesters would launch a boycott campaign against the whole shopping mall. On Sept. 7, Kyushu no Mura Ichiba officials told the organizers they didn't want the booth, and organizers decided to abandon the plans....
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