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发表于 2011-6-2 11:16:05
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When something we really love is about to begin, we return to being children. Professional angler Toru Nishiyama, who died 10 years ago, was no exception. "At long last, the fishing season is about to open. As I ruminate over which river to go to this year, fishing has already started," he commented.
Nishiyama, who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer, concentrated on his rehabilitation hoping to once again hold his fishing rod. When he walked along the Tamagawa river for exercise, he saw "ayu" (sweetfish) jumping in the water and found traces of their bite marks on waterweeds that grew on rocks along the banks. "In my mind, the ayu fishing bug suddenly got up and started to romp around, telling me let's go, we're going." It was the last early summer before his untimely death at the age of 52.
For people who love ayu, whether for fishing or eating, this is the season they have been eagerly waiting for. However, in Fukushima Prefecture, the opening of the fishing season may be put on hold. This is because radioactive cesium in excess of the national standards was found in freshwater fish, according to surveys conducted by the prefecture and the national government.
Radioactive substances that fall on the ground become mixed with rainwater and find their way into rivers, lakes and ponds. Unlike the ocean, where tides disperse radioactivity, in inland waters, radiation does not get diluted easily. Moreover, according to scientists, freshwater fish tend to accumulate radioactive substances more easily than do fish in the ocean. This is sad and troublesome.
"Each place where the ayu is caught brags about it, and this is because the locals eat freshly caught fish. In the end, locally caught fish tastes best," said Rosanjin Kitaoji (1883-1959), an artist and renowned gourmet. For people in Fukushima Prefecture, the ayu caught in the prefecture tastes the best. Without the nutritious fish that signals the advent of summer, how can they work diligently? I guess the same goes for the survivors of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, although fishing for pleasure may be the last thing on their minds.
Tourist farms, including ones that grow the cherries that are just now coming into season, are also struggling with fewer visitors. The accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant has destroyed livelihoods, upset security and even deprived us of our sense of the seasons. During this month of rain and water, as I think about the enormity of our losses, I will renew my determination to survive this disaster. |
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