余録：日本料理（世界中で傷ついてしまった日本ブランド）

(Mainichi Japan) May 30, 2011
Falling confidence in 'Japan brand' more than just a domestic problem
余録：日本料理（世界中で傷ついてしまった日本ブランド）

The nuclear power plant in Fukushima has completely tarnished the "Japan brand," which enjoyed a reputation around the world as being safe, clean, and high tech. All of that has been wiped away now by the black cloud of radioactive contamination.
　原発事故で「日本」というブランドがすっかり傷ついた。
「安全」「清潔」「ハイテク」……海外から見た日本の良いイメージだったが、「放射能汚染」という黒雲でまるで見えなくなってしまった

Along with the "Japan brand," the popularity of Japanese food -- whose "health food" reputation had until recently attracted fans around the world -- has plummeted.
▲「日本」ブランドが落ち込むとともに、「日本料理」もイメージダウンした。
「ヘルシー」さがうけて世界中で和食ブームだったのに、各国で日本料理店の客足が落ちた。

In an attempt to bring back customers, one overseas conveyor-belt sushi restaurant has gone as far as to post a sign saying that none of its ingredients are imported from Japan.
回転ずしの店頭には「ネタは日本から輸入していません」という張り紙も

Efforts to help rebuild the reputation of Japanese food have begun, however, in Hong Kong, where there are an estimated 600 to 800 Japanese restaurants.
▲だが、ここにきて海外でも「立ち上がれ日本食」の動きが出てきた。場所は、６００から８００の和食飲食店があるという香港。

The ramen noodle industry there got the ball rolling with the campaign slogan: "Let's all eat ramen."
まずラーメン業界が口火を切り「万人　食　拉麺（ラーメン）」（みんなで食べよう、ラーメン）キャンペーンを始めた

While Japanese ramen is of Chinese origin, Chinese people consider it Japanese food.
▲ラーメンは中国の麺料理が原形だが、中国人は日本料理だと考えているのだ。

Therefore, as Japan's reputation has plunged from the ongoing nuclear crisis, Hong Kong locals' appetite for ramen has waned, dealing a blow to the Hong Kong ramen industry.
だから日本で原発事故が起きて日本のイメージが悪化すると、香港の人々はラーメンに対する食欲が減退する。その結果、零細なラーメン店業界は打撃を受ける

Other Japanese restaurants and Japanese-style pubs have followed suit with "Love Japanese Food" campaigns of their own.
▲日本料理店や居酒屋などの業界も「愛　日本料理」運動で続いた。

Although most of the ingredients for Japanese food served in Hong Kong are imported from the Kyushu region, it's all the same Japan to local consumers, who do not differentiate between the southwestern island of Kyushu and the Tohoku region where the Fukushima plant is located.
香港の和食食材はもともと九州方面から来ているが、地元の消費者にとっては九州も東北も同じ日本。

To dispel concerns over the safety of Japanese food and to make its way back into consumers' good graces, the industry in Hong Kong has held sushi-tasting events and given discounts to diners.
不安をぬぐい去るために、すしの試食イベントや価格割引などで和食のイメージアップを図る。

In addition, local authorities are planning to implement a preferential financing system for small- and medium-sized businesses to support them.
行政当局も中小企業優遇融資制度などで支援するそうだ

Meanwhile, in Deauville, France, where the 50th anniversary ceremony of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the G8 Summit were being held, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan stated that Japan was aiming to draw lessons from the ongoing nuclear crisis and achieve "the highest standard of nuclear safety."
▲さて、肝心の日本である。菅直人首相がＧ８サミットで「最高度の原子力安全」と言った。

His declaration may be explicit, but unless he delivers results, the "Japan brand" will not be able to regain the trust it has lost -- which, as we have already seen, has repercussions beyond Japan's borders.
言葉が明確でも、これから結果をだせなければ信頼は取り戻せない。日本ブランド回復は、日本だけの問題ではない。

("Yoroku," a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun)
毎日新聞　2011年5月30日　0時02分