Japanese Negi Misrepresented as Domestic; Former President Arrested for Fraud

Kyoto, Japan (CNA) - Tetsuya Takada, the 55-year-old former president of the agricultural processing company "Negi Hoken" in Minami Ward, Kyoto City, was arrested today by the Kyoto Prefectural Police for mixing Chinese green onions into sliced "Kujo negi," a traditional Kyoto vegetable.

According to the Sankei Shimbun, Kyoto police determined that this action was sufficient to mislead consumers and arrested former Negi Hoken president Tetsuya Takada today on suspicion of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and the Food Labeling Act.

Police stated that Takada has confessed to the charges, admitting, "Due to the extreme heat, it was difficult to obtain negi produced in Kyoto Prefecture, so I mixed in negi from other regions to fill the gap."

Police further revealed that Takada's specific alleged offense involved repeatedly mixing Chinese-produced negi into sliced negi from Kyoto Prefecture at the company's processing plant in Minami Ward, Kyoto City, around February 26th of this year. He then labeled the origin as "Kyoto Prefecture" and sold a total of 6 packages of the product to three companies, including retail companies.

The Kyoto Prefectural Police reported that Takada engaged in this origin misrepresentation for approximately four years, from when he was president until this year. These products were sold to 34 companies and distributed through channels such as supermarkets in the Kinki region.

Police received a tip about the origin fraud in September 2024. After product analysis, it was confirmed that some of the negi were of Chinese origin. In February of this year, police searched the company's processing plant and seized evidence, including documents related to transactions of Chinese green onions. (Compiled by Li Jing / Reviewed by Chen Zhengjian) 1150622

Stand with the truth, your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom

Download the CNA "One-Stop News" APP for real-time updates

The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.