Nursery schools, supermarkets and manufacturers scrambled to secure enough supplies of bottled water Thursday following news that tap water in Tokyo and other prefectures was found to be contaminated with levels of radioactive iodine dangerous to infants aged 1 or younger.
"We are taking care of about 300 to 400 babies younger than 1 year old," a spokesman for Ness Corp., which operates 11 nursery schools in the Tokyo area, told The Japan Times.
For Thursday's operation, each school operated by Ness used bottled water for cooking as well as making formula for the toddlers. Tap water was used only for washing hands.