Souring relations between Asian rivals Japan and China now seem to be snagged on calm-inducing beauty in spas, museums and gardens. In recent years, koi have become hugely popular in Asia, with Japan's koi exports doubling over the past decade to 6.3 billion yen ($43 million) — one-fifth of them shipped to China, the top Japanese koi importer, followed by the United States and Indonesia. Fisheries Agency official Satoru Abe, in charge of koi quarantine, said China has not provided any explanation as to why it hasn't taken the necessary steps to continue koi shipments. IS THIS RELATED TO FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI'S TREATED WASTEWATER RELEASE? Abe, the koi quarantine official, said Fukushima’s wastewater release is unlikely to be the cause of the koi export stoppage, noting that China allowed Japanese koi in for two months after the water discharge began.

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Persons: Satoru Abe, Abe, Ichiro Miyashita, “, Hirokazu Matsuno Organizations: TOKYO, CHINA, Japan . Fisheries Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency, Forestry, Fisheries Locations: Japan, China, Asia, United States, Indonesia, Beijing, Tokyo, JAPAN, CHINA, East China