14 Years On: Teen from Tokyo Begins Fishing Career in Fukushima

Soma, Fukushima Pref., March 10 (Jiji Press)--Teruki Hara, a 17-year-old fisherman, has set himself apart from his peers by relocating from Tokyo to Soma, a coastal city in Fukushima Prefecture, to begin on-the-job training.

Despite lingering concerns over unfounded rumors about the safety of food from the region following the March 2011 nuclear disaster, Hara remains committed to Fukushima, where he initially discovered his love for fishing as a child.

Hara first aspired to become a fisherman after an acquaintance of his father introduced him to the joys of fishing during a visit to Fukushima when he was in elementary school.

"Since I learned (about fishing) in Fukushima, I definitely wanted to pursue it in Fukushima," Hara recalls.

To support his son's dream, Hara's father reached out to Kazuyasu Takahashi, a 46-year-old fisherman in Soma whom he had connected with through social media. During his junior high school years, the younger Hara began joining Takahashi on his boat to gain hands-on fishing experience.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]