@article{oai:repo.qst.go.jp:00077333,
 author = {Murakami, Michio and Kumagai, Atsushi and N. Stojarov, Aleksandr and Tsubokura, Masaharu and Atsushi, Kumagai},
 issue = {6465},
 journal = {Science},
 month = {Nov},
 note = {With the recent tensions between Japan, Korea, and surrounding countries, Korea has begun to raise questions about the safety of radiation doses in foods and at Olympic venues in Fukushima (1). However, these allegations are not based on scientific evidence; the international scientific community has already resolved that radiation doses from the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 are limited (2, 3). The current doses in Fukushima residents from external exposures are comparable to or lower than exposures in other countries (4), and additional doses from internal exposures are also negligible (<0.01 mSv/y) (5). This concern about radiation exposure is not a problem of radiation safety but a matter of the trust and social norms that govern radiation risk perception and generate radiation anxiety (6, 7).

Public trust has still not fully recovered, even in Japan (8), where about 50% of the population still perceives a likelihood that the health of the next generation has been adversely affected (9), despite the current scientific consensus (2, 3). Radiation anxiety is a root cause of social division and can create stigma, discrimination, and conflicts in society (10). This type of social division can also be accelerated in conjunction with emotion-based information spread by social media (11).

Radiation issues must not be used as a political tool. Politicizing radiation issues divides the public into factions and unnecessarily increases the public perception of radiation risks among individuals and the public, ultimately worsening social misery. Sharing scientific findings and engaging in calm discussions will reassure people in relevant countries and across the globe.},
 pages = {581--582},
 title = {Radiation is not a political tool},
 volume = {366},
 year = {2019}
}