Radiation concerns for pregnant traveller

Hi guys,

I am planning to travel to Tokyo end of Oct to early Nov 13.. Just wondering what are the current radiation levels like at Japan especially with air, food, and water? I'm asking these questions as I'm currently pregnant - will be 15 weeks when I travel, so have additional concerns around radiation exposure Also do you recommend any precautions that I should take?

Also, just wondering are the information from (http://monitoring.tokyo-eiken.go.jp/en/) reliable and trustworthy? Will you guys suggest any other resources or website that provide up to date and accurate information about the ongoing radiation?

Any advice or useful information will be very helpful. thank you!

P/s: I know that this is a topic that many people will go (NOT AGAIN), but I guess the situation seems to have changed with the recent reports of contaminated water leaks into the sea, and typhoon, so will like to just get a sense of how things are like, and whether it is still safe for me to proceed

Hello Panago,

Whether you trust that link or not depends on whether you trust the municipal or not, but judging from various sources, yes, I would say it's trustworthy enough.

You can also check other websites such as the ones of the Ministries. Ask again for assistance if necessary.
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/2011eq/
http://www.maff.go.jp/e/index.html

As for food, what is on the market is supposed to be safe anyway, but I don't think that such a short stay with balanced meals will affect your health.

Also needless to say, stress can even be worse for your health, and I (although not pregnant) choose to eat anything available, but try to eat bits of everything rather than bulks of one thing. I also try to eat fresh food with nutrition and fiber in order to "detox" whatever bad thing that I happen to take, be it radiation or not.

And as long as you're in Tokyo, you'd be fine, but in some parts of Japan, wild plants, wild fish and game can be contaminated (according to the Ministry), so try to avoid anything that an amateur may pick from nowhere.

Have a nice stay and bon appetit!

I wouldn't worry too much as Tokyo doesn't have many granite buildings which are naturally radioactive (traces) and you'll be receiving additional solar radiation from your flight to and from Tokyo. Unless you travel by boat, you'll receive "elevated" levels of radiation, but "elevated" is a term incorrectly perceived as people automatically think "dangerous". For example, if the normal radiation is at level 5 and the healthy limit is 50 (this is an example, not fact), then a reading of 8 is considered an "elevated" level, but the media use that term to their news advantage. I wouldn't think about it. Just don't go swimming near the reactor-they don't patrol the sea, but no one will let you near the place on land....

they don't patrol the sea, but no one will let you near the place on land....

I'm sure you were joking since she's coming in cold October, but to be precise, they do patrol the sea, although not like they do on the roads of eastern Fukushima. They just patrol it like they'd normally do in all parts of Japan.

Yes, Uco, I was just kidding! But I wasn't aware of the sea patrol. I know there are concerned people out there, but sometimes their concern is unnecessary. The tourist's time in country is so short, there's no possible way they can be harmed by Fukushima. If it were true that it's dangerous, after 2.5 years, there would be an increase in local population health issues. I haven't heard of any, so, even though it's not totally safe, it can't be that bad. It's just my take on the situation.

Thanks Uco and John B digs at Japan :)

I appreciate both your comments! Though John B you seem to be having a dig at me ;) (I take it good naturedly though, coz I'm sure there are so many people who have asked the same questions - which can be annoying)

I only ask these questions because mainly I am pregnant, and being pregnant means added responsibilities so I want to be as best informed as I can to make a decision that I can take responsibility for :)

Anyways, Uco, I read from past threads (probably like 2011-2012) that people were really cautious about the food! Is this back to normal now? or do people in Tokyo still ask where the food source is from?

I'm wondering, as I will be eating out all the time that I'm there, is it rude if I ask them where their food source comes from?

Many thanks again :)

Panago, I wasn't trying to "have a dig at you"! :) If anything, I was just trying a bit of humor to ease your mind a bit. The problem with forums such as this one, or any for that matter, is that the words may be typed with a feeling in mind, but read with another. In fact, the intentions may be misconstrued. It was not my intention to make a poke at you in any way. I was going the other way, and giving an obviously unnatural situation to ease your worries and lighten up the mood a bit.

While this question has been asked before, when it comes to health of soon-to-be-babies, there's no question that is too unimportant to ask. I wouldn't dare be sarcastic to someone who's giving life to another.

According to NHK 7 o'clock news in the evening of 18 October 2013....
: On that day, fishing operation in the offshore of southern Fukushima Prefecture was resumed on trial, after a voluntary restraint for 2 and a half years following the accident in the power plant.
: A radioactive substance was not detected from 1.3 ton of the ocean-fresh seafood.

This is a report from Fukushima Prefecture, not from Tokyo Metropolis. I suppose that no detection from the ocean-fresh seafood is just a piece of the truth.
In Tokyo, no area has been designated as off-limits due to the accident.
As is suggested by Uco, one simple thing you can try is to avoid natural food with no reliable information on where it was picked.

I think major news media based in Japan have been focusing on the issue of radioactivity around the power plant mainly because people were told as if there had been no risk of a serious accident.
Their reports on real situations show that radioactivity is not at any alert level except near the power plant.

Regarding possible effect of typhoons, I assume winds and rainfalls caused by a typhoon may not heighten but lessen the concentration of radioactive substances.

I read from past threads (probably like 2011-2012) that people were really cautious about the food! Is this back to normal now? or do people in Tokyo still ask where the food source is from?

I'm wondering, as I will be eating out all the time that I'm there, is it rude if I ask them where their food source comes from?

Well, to begin with, at stores, the place the food was grown has always been and still is noted (in Japanese) before 3.11 ever happened.

Secondly, I can't recall "people in Tokyo" commonly asking restaurants where food sources are coming from.

Third, as you can see from the Ministry websites, a great number of food has become safer (as the soil was cleaned and new crop was grown or a new generation of fish and cattle was grown) and the market and system are more organized now (no-notice inspections are done by both private and public organizations), so there are less to watch out for.

But just as it is in any country, even before 3.11, restaurants often boast where the source is comming from. For example, a menu might say "Boston crab." Similarly, they mention the area or prefecture of certain foods in certain menus. Otherwise, not necessarily because of 3.11, I often say things like, "Oh, this sounds very tasty. Is the fish local?" (like "local" is always nice) and the waiter might say, "Oh yes, this is a catch from so-and-so area." And then depending on that answer, I might make a second choice.

But I don't think it's really "rude" to ask. People still take it for granted that pregnant women are more concerned. But at the same time, you can also ask "indirectly" pretending you're just interested in cuisines of various regions.

Meanwhile, many people, especially older people or people without young children, prefer to choose food from Fukushima etc., to support the farmers (note again that food on the market is supposed to have been inspected and safe), so don't be surprized if you see those foods being sold/served.

On a related note, you can pick up an "I'm pregnant" badge at train stations. It will help express yourself. You can show the following illustration to the station staff to ask for the badge.
http://www.maternitymark.com/

To be fair, I can understand people's concerns, because "affects" from radiation may not show so soon.

We are just starting to discovering real results from Bikini, and real results from Chernoby will come much later.

But TV tells me about a documentary movie on a Japanese fishing boat that was most likely affected by a H-bomb test in 1954. Back then, a lot of fishermen used to go out in the sea half-naked. According to the movie, a lot of those men who were on that boat that day died before they became very old. However, a fisherman who was only a teen that day have been surviving in great health, and the researcher suspects that it may be because he was wearing a raincoat that day. This gives me great hope and tells us the importance of protection.

http://x311.info/

But again, I wouldn't worry about short term balanced meals at proper establishments.

You likely have been exposed to some radiation in your home country

From Wikipedia:
"..Ionizing radiation is ubiquitous in the environment, and comes from naturally occurring radioactive materials and cosmic rays.."
...When considering high-intensity long exposure scenarios, as in suntanning, the probability of multiphoton ionization increases.However, ultraviolet light even of low intensity can cause radiation burns similar to those produced by x-ray or gamma radiation..."

"...Even microwave radiation, which has a photon energy well below that of visible light and is usually considered non-ionizing, can be considered ionizing if it is intense enough..."

if I were your husband, i will be anxious about miscarrige caused by environmental change by going abroad.

Thanks everyone to your kind information and advice - it has been helpful to me to be more informed of the current situation - as I live outside of Japan, and as of today, quite a few friends are trying to dissuade me from going... saying "better to play it safe"

I had really grappled with this issue for quite a few days last week, and did pretty extensive research, so I thought this forum has always been helpful, and will give me more insight (especially from the people who are living in Japan now) than all the "I dunno whether I can trust information online - conflicting stories from both sides"

@John B digs Japan - thanks for trying to ease my stress by being humourous - I did have a bit of a gigle when reading your swimming comment.. Also, please do not get me wrong, I am not offended at all :)

@Uco - thank you for all the wondering and factual input, as well as excellent ideas on how I can approach this topic when I eat out if I feel uncomfortable :)

@Omotenashi - thanks for the current news update...

My husband and I really love Japan - the first time we went is post Tsunami 2011, and because of the aftermath, we had to change our plans, and forgo our Tokyo itineary.. since then we've been wanting to go but just couldn't get the time...

Since I found out I'm pregnant, Jetstar had a sale, and we were so set on going.. then all the worries, advice from friends, anxieties started coming in which doesn't help :((

Sorry about the long rant.. but I truly appreciate all the people who care enough to post to provide some information and assurance to me :)

My heartfelt thanks :)

I found this thread very useful as I am considering to go to Japan in my pregnancy. Not sure if Panago is still following this thread, but I was just wondering what her experiences were going to Japan while being pregnant.

What I am worried about besides the radiation is the food issue. I am a vegetarian who eats fish. Now I read a lot about lots of raw/half cooked food (fish, vegetables) being eaten in Japan and was wondering whether I will have an issue or not when it comes to food...Even as I don't speak japanese I am not sure if I can express myself good enough in order to avoid raw/half cooked fish for example. Or if it is just half of the fun if I have to avoid sushi, sashimi and the like. What do you think?

Although I think radiation in sightseeing area in Japan have no harmful effect to tourists,
but if you have a strong feeling of anxiety about it, it's stressful and your stress have harmful effect to your baby.
You can plan to visit Japan next time after his/her growth.

That's what you get for hijacking an old thread about radiation to ask instead about raw fish... (grin)

My wife (who is Japanese and loves raw fish) avoided raw fish when she was pregnant. The fish can contain a buildup of chemicals (or worse, a parasite) that do not pose a problem to adults but can pose a problem to a developing fetus.

You should have no problems avoiding it, though. It is not like they sneak raw fish into a wide variety of dishes.

"The fish can contain a buildup of chemicals (or worse, a parasite) that do not pose a problem to adults but can pose a problem to a developing fetus."

Cooking the fish doesn't take out the possible chemicals. They would still be there as the break-up temperatures are usually much higher than the cooking temperatures.

Also the likely parasites are living the GI tract so they wouldn't directly harm the fetus. Maybe only through malnutrition of specific vitamins.

Local pregnant women eat fish, even raw fish without problems, so I can't see why tourists would be any different. But, if one feels nervous about eating fish, maybe it is better to skip it even when possible risks are very low.

If you are gorging on fish, raw or otherwise, I'd be more concerned about mercury than radiation. Try to limit your consumption of tuna and the other large meat-eaters.

Hi Lost in translation :)

I'm Panago here & just to share my experience going to Japan while being pregnant..

I was around 16 weeks pregnant when we went to Japan - namely Tokyo, Hakone & Kyoto..

It was a good trip though tiring as I did a fair bit of walking around - catching public transport etc

Food wise I personally had not much issues - though I'm careful to drink bottled water (Evian) & ate mainly from established restaurants & avoided street stalls (think izakaya style)

While I love sashimi I did not eat raw fish as advised by my doctor so perhaps you like to seek a doctor's opinion about things.. For me that was a bit of a downside as I love sashimi :( but I've already been to Japan once prior so it wasn't too bad for me

My Hakone trip was lovely - relaxed & the food was great.. The only issue when travelling pregnant is that if you are sleeping on tatami you may get backache..

Also the trains in tokyo can be very busy so be prepared to not get a seat.. & prepared to lug your luggage up & down stairs

I guess we can give you a lot of our experiences.. But ultimately you need to make the decision whether you are comfortable to go.. & if you are.. Enjoy the trip if not, perhaps you should think about going another time :)