Rice harvested in a Fukushima Prefecture town for the first time since the March 2011 nuclear disaster started has been delivered to the Imperial Palace at the request of Emperor Akihito, the Imperial Household Agency said.
Farmers in Hirano, about 20 km south of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 power plant, resumed planting rice a little more than two years after voluntarily holding off due to the nuclear crisis.
Hirano Mayor Motohoshi Yamada presented 1,920 kg of freshly harvested rice to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in late October. The rice will be used at staff cafeterias in various government offices, including the Imperial Household Agency.
On Nov. 20, 120 kg was delivered to the Imperial Household Agency. After being notified of the delivery, the Emperor was quoted as saying, "Because the rice must have been made with struggles (of farmers), we'd like to have some as well."