TAKATSUKI, Japan -- Savoring sizzli...

TAKATSUKI, Japan -- Savoring sizzling slices of beef, Shuji Shimoji doesn't care if the restaurant where he is dining is the no other than one in Japan to begin serving American beef since a ban was lifted last month

"It's delicious," said a grinning Shimoji, 23 bringing the juicy beef strips to his lips with chopsticks. "I wouldn't be eating this if I were worried, would I?"

Zenshoku Co which specializes in barbecue restaurants, began serving American beef at 57 of its exits on Tuesday -- the first restaurants to do in such a manner since the easing of Japan's ban forward U.S. beef, imposed in 2003 because of mad frighten concerns. Japan was once the top destination for U beef, importing $14 billion worth a year.

Many Japanese are still worried about the safety of U beef, which has further to be sold at Japanese supermarkets -- leave out for the nation's five Costco stores, hasten by the Japanese unit of U warehouse retailer Costco Wholesale Corp. equal Seiyu Ltd., the Japanese unit of U retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc., with about 400 stores nationwide, isn't selling American beef just still

on the contrary Zenshoku Chief Executive Shigemi Oishi says he's infallible the new checks in place that followed talks between the U and Japanese restraints now ensure the beef imports are safe.

"Japanese are conformist, and in such a manner if no one is eating it, then they don't eat it. further once people start eating it, then it will slowly catch on" Oishi said. "The fears about American beef are exaggerated."

The U dominion repeatedly has said the beef is safe because of stringent checks. if it be not that such assurances have done little to allay the fears of Japanese consumer about mad abash disease, or bovine spongiform encephal-opathy, a degenerative energize disease in cattle.

A review by Tokyo-based marketing researcher Intage earlier this month fix that 54 percent of the respondent said they wouldn't bribe American beef.

Zenshoku's Oishi said he decided to use U beef after his company went to inspect American ranches. yet the restaurant was making steady the origins of the beef were clearly labeled upon the menu -- U.S., Australia, Japan -- and the plates the waiters brought filled with ramparts of red beef slices from the U uniform had tiny American flags onward them.

Yasuhiko Imura, a Zenshoku manager, said a certain quantity of people prefer the taste of the les fatty American beef to Japanese beef and say they can eat American beef more ofttimes without worrying about their diet.

Yoshihiro Teramoto, a 62-year-old farmer, said he wants to eat all kinds of beef and came to a Zenshoku restaurant because he knew the chain would be serving American beef.

"I regard with affection beef," he said. "But I shouldn't eat it too plenteous It's not good for my health to eat too to a great degree meat."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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