Japan's invisible enemy from within

Before March 11, 2011, procuring food for an average Japanese household was a pretty straight-forward affair.

Following long-established traditions, a housewife it is, still, almost always a woman in charge did her best to ensure that every product brought to the table could be traced to Japanese soil or waters.

This, it was widely held, was the best way to avoid eating fish, meat or produce tainted with dangerous contaminants.