Matsutake imports from China fall on illegal pesticide residue

OSAKA, Japan - Imports of matsutake mushrooms from China are declining sharply, leading to an increase in those from South Korea (photographed at a shop in Kobe) and other suppliers, as they were found to have illegal quantities of pesticide residue. Japanese consumed some 2,500 tons of matsutake mushrooms in 2001, of which imports accounted for 2,400 tons, including 1,530 tons from China.