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▼ Overseas Websites Awash in Fake Japanese Food Products
- Category:Event
Food products fraudulently mislabeled as Japanese brands that are registered under the government’s Geographical Indication (GI) protection system (see below), are being sold overseas, mainly in China.
The brands are registered by the GI system to protect the value of high-quality local specialty products across Japan.
Research by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry found counterfeit versions of brands from 17 locations in Japan, including Kobe Beef, for sale on overseas websites.
The number of fake Japanese food brands has increased four-fold from the previous year.
The GI system protects and promotes Japanese products, but the system is being exploited.
An official of JA Minami Shinshu, a local JA agricultural cooperative in Iida, Nagano Prefecture, was angry after learning that dried persimmon fruits produced in China are being sold on the internet bearing the name Ichida Gaki, a local specialty brand produced in the region.
The official said, “If counterfeit products become widespread, the value of genuine Ichida Gaki persimmons will fall. Unless sales of fakes are stopped as soon as possible, we cannot export our products with a sense of security.”
Ichida Gaki dried persimmons, which are known for their sweetness, are only produced in and near the city. The brand was registered under the GI system in July 2016.
The brands are registered by the GI system to protect the value of high-quality local specialty products across Japan.
Research by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry found counterfeit versions of brands from 17 locations in Japan, including Kobe Beef, for sale on overseas websites.
The number of fake Japanese food brands has increased four-fold from the previous year.
The GI system protects and promotes Japanese products, but the system is being exploited.
An official of JA Minami Shinshu, a local JA agricultural cooperative in Iida, Nagano Prefecture, was angry after learning that dried persimmon fruits produced in China are being sold on the internet bearing the name Ichida Gaki, a local specialty brand produced in the region.
The official said, “If counterfeit products become widespread, the value of genuine Ichida Gaki persimmons will fall. Unless sales of fakes are stopped as soon as possible, we cannot export our products with a sense of security.”
Ichida Gaki dried persimmons, which are known for their sweetness, are only produced in and near the city. The brand was registered under the GI system in July 2016.
The premium persimmons can cost about ¥100 each. In addition to domestic sales, about 30 tons are exported annually to Taiwan.
Chinese-made matcha powdered green tea mislabelled as Nishio no Matcha, a brand produced in Aichi Prefecture’s Nishio region, was also being sold online
Hiroyasu Inagaki, 53, a farmer in the city who produces Nishio no Matcha, expressed concern, saying, “While exports are increasing, [counterfeit products] affect my business.”
The agriculture ministry searched for GI-registered brands on 82 major online shopping sites overseas from June last year to February this year. The ministry confirmed that famous Japanese food brands, including Yubari Melon of Yubari, Hokkaido; Matsusaka Ushi beef of Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture; and Oita Kabosu citrus of Oita Prefecture were being sold.
About 80 percent of the websites were based in China. Sales of counterfeit food products were found also on websites in Brazil and the United States.
The ministry suspects that most of the products discovered were counterfeit — 662 were confirmed as being fake.
The ministry demanded online retailers selling such products remove the counterfeit Japanese food brands listed on their sites, explaining that it constitutes fraud.
More than 100 countries overseas have already introduced systems similar to Japan’s GI that protect the value of their farming and fisheries products.
To prevent the sale of counterfeit products and unauthorized use of brand names, it is necessary for countries to sign bilateral agreements for their protection.
Japan signed this kind of agreement with the European Union in December last year. Under the agreement, for example, Japanese-made cheese products cannot use the name Gorgonzola, which is a recognized Italian brand of cheese.
If unauthorized use of brand names is discovered, the government of the country where the fraudulent mislabeling is conducted issues an order to halt sales of such products based on the agreement between the two nations.
Japan also plans to sign such agreements with Thailand and Vietnam soon.
However, it is unlikely that this kind of agreement will be signed between Japan and China. Under the current situation, it is not possible to crack down on the unauthorized use of Japanese brand names.
Prof. Yumi Ogose of Tokyo University of Science, an expert on intellectual property policy studies, said, “Japan should raise the brand recognition of GI-registered products in other countries and demonstrate the fact that the brands are strictly controlled. Japan should also sign bilateral protection agreements as soon as possible so that the brand names are not easily abused.”
■GI protection system
The GI is a system in which the government screens agriculture, forestry and fisheries products and processed food products produced in specific places, and certifies them as premium local specialty products. Seven items including Yubari Melon were registered in December 2015.
In February, the number of items stood at 59. More than 160 items are on a list awaiting GI registration.
Chinese-made matcha powdered green tea mislabelled as Nishio no Matcha, a brand produced in Aichi Prefecture’s Nishio region, was also being sold online
Hiroyasu Inagaki, 53, a farmer in the city who produces Nishio no Matcha, expressed concern, saying, “While exports are increasing, [counterfeit products] affect my business.”
The agriculture ministry searched for GI-registered brands on 82 major online shopping sites overseas from June last year to February this year. The ministry confirmed that famous Japanese food brands, including Yubari Melon of Yubari, Hokkaido; Matsusaka Ushi beef of Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture; and Oita Kabosu citrus of Oita Prefecture were being sold.
About 80 percent of the websites were based in China. Sales of counterfeit food products were found also on websites in Brazil and the United States.
The ministry suspects that most of the products discovered were counterfeit — 662 were confirmed as being fake.
The ministry demanded online retailers selling such products remove the counterfeit Japanese food brands listed on their sites, explaining that it constitutes fraud.
More than 100 countries overseas have already introduced systems similar to Japan’s GI that protect the value of their farming and fisheries products.
To prevent the sale of counterfeit products and unauthorized use of brand names, it is necessary for countries to sign bilateral agreements for their protection.
Japan signed this kind of agreement with the European Union in December last year. Under the agreement, for example, Japanese-made cheese products cannot use the name Gorgonzola, which is a recognized Italian brand of cheese.
If unauthorized use of brand names is discovered, the government of the country where the fraudulent mislabeling is conducted issues an order to halt sales of such products based on the agreement between the two nations.
Japan also plans to sign such agreements with Thailand and Vietnam soon.
However, it is unlikely that this kind of agreement will be signed between Japan and China. Under the current situation, it is not possible to crack down on the unauthorized use of Japanese brand names.
Prof. Yumi Ogose of Tokyo University of Science, an expert on intellectual property policy studies, said, “Japan should raise the brand recognition of GI-registered products in other countries and demonstrate the fact that the brands are strictly controlled. Japan should also sign bilateral protection agreements as soon as possible so that the brand names are not easily abused.”
■GI protection system
The GI is a system in which the government screens agriculture, forestry and fisheries products and processed food products produced in specific places, and certifies them as premium local specialty products. Seven items including Yubari Melon were registered in December 2015.
In February, the number of items stood at 59. More than 160 items are on a list awaiting GI registration.
- April 11, 2018
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