ONAGAWA, Miyagi Prefecture--Raw oysters from this part of northeastern Japan, a local specialty, are back on dinner tables for the first time since the earthquake and tsunami disaster more than two years ago.
ONAGAWA, Miyagi Prefecture--Raw oysters from this part of northeastern Japan, a local specialty, are back on dinner tables for the first time since the earthquake and tsunami disaster more than two years ago.
The shellfish from Miyagi Prefecture are generally small and prized for their delicate taste.
Fishermen in the Oura district here resumed shipments on Oct. 15. Local workers began shucking 200 kilograms of oysters that were landed a day earlier at a processing plant completed in May.
They flipped open shells to reveal puffy flesh with practiced movements.
“At long last,” said third-generation fish culture worker Yoshishiro Komatsu, 39, with a delighted sigh. “We’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
Local fishermen sought to rebuild the oyster processing plant in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but had to wait because so many other projects took priority in the devastated landscape.