The Effects of Perceived Risk of Radioactive Contamination on Consumer Purchase Intentions in Japan’s Food Market

The purpose of this study is to examine how Japanese consumers' concerns about food from areas that experienced radioactive contamination following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, affected their purchasing intentions. Through structural equation modeling, it examined how the country-of-origin affects consumers’ purchase intentions as influenced by their perceived risk with regard to the food product. The result indicates that consumers are inclined to feel uneasy about food products from radioactive contaminated areas, which subsequently influences their purchase intentions.Providing domestic and foreign consumers with accurate and detailed information on food products from such areas through social media and mass media will lead to the development and expansion of Japan's food culture industry in the future.