Risk communication is still in its early stages, and no formula for success has been established yet. The only rule of thumb is that safety and reassurance are different, and that reassurance comes from both safety and trust. In this feature, we have focused on the challenges faced by those actively working on the front lines of risk communication, rather than on the researchers in the field.

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Roundup (active ingredient: glyphosate) is the most widely used herbicide in the world, including Japan. Numerous lawsuits have been filed in the United States over its dangers. However, the impact of the Roundup cases is not limited to the United States. The outcome of the lawsuits will have a major impact on food and agriculture in Japan. This paper will therefore focus on an in-depth analysis of the Roundup case, particularly from two perspectives that have not been introduced in Japan at all. One is the phenomenon of “trials purely for profit” for the U.S. legal industry, and the other is as an aspect of the “political battle” between the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States. The future of the trial and its impact cannot be foreseen without a structural understanding of these two axes, which are unique to the United States.

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In April 2003, the author was transferred to the newly created Safety Information Department at the National Institute of Health Sciences, and since then has been involved in the publication of the bi-weekly "Food Safety Information" (chemical substances) and other duties. Risk communication has been an important part of my work from the beginning, and I have endeavored to communicate in a variety of ways, giving a total of 335 lectures and presentations over 14 years since 2010 (the year of record) until retiring as Director of the Safety Information Department of the NIHS in March 2024. This paper describes the practice of risk communication to date and the author's subjective impressions gained from this practice.
Immediately after the Food Safety Commission was established with the enactment of the Food Safety Basic Law, there were high expectations and motivation for food safety risk communication in both the public and private sectors. The main purpose of the meeting was to reassure the audiences who deemed safe food to be not safe. However, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent release of radioactive materials created a situation in which food products were contaminated with clear carcinogens, which was a major challenge for food safety risk communication.
More than 10 years after the disaster, trust in food safety appears to have been restored through enormous efforts. In the midst of all this, an unprecedented scale of health hazard incidents caused by health foods occurred in 2024. The challenge of risk communication will not go away in the future.

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The discharge of ALPS treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi NPP into the sea began in August 2023. In Japan, the feared reputational damage did not occur. In this paper, our analysis of public opinion polls conducted by news organizations and a web survey conducted by us reveals the following points. (1) Within a relatively short period of time after the discharge began, the percentage of people who approved of the discharge increased significantly, and concerns about the potential impact on seafood and other products decreased significantly. (2) Many people had seen and heard about the safety of the discharge, mainly on television, and thought the news was telling them there were no safety issues. (3) Many people knew that China was opposed to the discharge. Many Japanese viewed China's opposition critically as “for diplomatic and political reasons” and “not based on scientific evidence and not rational”. This tendency was associated with a low favorability toward China. (4) The higher the age group, the more likely they were to have (2) and (3). This is thought to be an effect of differences in news exposure across age groups. The fact that there were many TV reports about acts by some Chinese people immediately after the discharge was confirmed by the analysis of the program broadcast database. These results suggest that media coverage of the conflict between Japan and China over the discharge of the treated water and the harassment, had influenced Japanese people's acceptance of their own country's views and explanations.

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Many people may wonder if there is bias in the news about food additives, pesticide residues, genetically modified crops, radiation after the nuclear accident, etc. Why does bias occur? How can scientific news reach consumers? In response to these questions, I have examined 11 factors based on my experience in food risk reporting for about 40 years. The 11 factors are as follows. (1) The media focuses on the concerns of citizens. (2) The media focuses on the vulnerable and minority groups. (3) The media focuses on the background of risks. (4) The media focuses on evil targets. (5) The media thinks in terms of the dualism of good and evil. (6) The media focuses on profits. (7) Reporters with strong personalities create bias. (8) The sense of mission to monitor power creates bias. (9) The media's political stance creates bias. (10) Scholars' “wanting to be recognized by the world syndrome” create bias. (11) The media focuses on hazards rather than risk.

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Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a compound formed by sodium and glutamic acid, an amino acid found in many foodstuffs including breast milk and tomatoes. Although its safety has been proven through numerous tests, many people still have negative impressions of MSG.
In the summer of 2018, I returned to Japan from my posting in Brazil and was appointed leader of a new project in the Global Communications Department, named the “Umami Project.” I still remember how surprised I was when my boss told me that my mission was to change the perception of MSG in the United States. Although I knew that MSG was safe, as someone who lived in the United States and Canada for 10 years, I knew how many people disliked it.
The Ajinomoto Group's purpose is to contribute to the well-being of people, society, and the planet through “Amino Science”, our general term for the diverse materials, functions, technologies, and services obtained through research and implementation processes that thoroughly focus on the functions of amino acids. It also refers to the Ajinomoto Group's unique scientific approach that connects these activities to solving social issues and contributing to consumers' well-being. We want consumers to understand that MSG is safe, makes food taste good, and can reduce salt intake without compromising its deliciousness, so that more people can enjoy its benefits.
The Ajinomoto Group decided to launch the “Umami Project” as part of its risk communication efforts, with the goal being to foster a culture where people don't care about the addition of MSG, in other words, to recognize it as a seasoning, just like salt and sugar. In this article I introduce what we have done to change the perception of MSG over the past 6 years, including the results we were able to gain.

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Risk communication is an important element of risk analysis. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges of risk communication in food safety, using the examples of risk communication activities conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) as they relate to advocacy, risk assessment, and risk management. Building basic literacy in scientific information, including through the primary and secondary education in mathematics, biology and chemistry, is crucial in achieving effective risk communication on food safety amongst the general population.

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With the introduction of the risk analysis framework in 2003, consumers have obtained opportunities to gather necessary information through risk communication about food safety, to express their opinions and to take action. Since its establishment, the food safety commission of Japan has been actively worked on risk communication based on the target audiences, themes, methods and others, and provided information. The author provides food safety information at local municipalities or media seminars, and sometimes receives opinions and questions based on information lacking scientific validity. This article introduces and discusses such experiences. Consumer concerns about food additives are often triggered by the labelling of “no food additives” and “no use of food additives” in terms of food labelling. This article reports that the Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan prepared guidelines in March 2022 and inappropriate labelling has decreased as a result. For consumers, food labelling and concerns for food safety are two sides of the same coin, and therefore it is desirable that risk communication is conducted in food labelling awareness campaigns.

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Whisky is the spirit made from fermented cereals, distilled and matured in small casks. There are five major whiskies in the world: Scotch, Irish, American (Bourbon), Canadian, and Japanese. These are whiskies which have unique histories and character. In the 21st century, craft whisky distilleries opened in many countries. In Japan also, many small distilleries try to follow their whisky dreams. This paper introduces the Japanese whisky history of the past 50 years (1960〜2010). How to be a challenger in the complex liquor market through making many kinds of whiskies.

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