US, Japan Reaffirm Strong Currency Coordination Amid Yen Volatility 
Federal Appeals Court Allows Texas SB4 Immigration Law Enforcement to Proceed 
Nike Tariff Refund Lawsuit Sparks Consumer Backlash Over Price Increases 
Trump DOJ Challenges Colorado’s Large-Capacity Magazine Ban in Second Amendment Lawsuit 
Judge Orders Release of Family After Longest ICE Detention Under Trump Administration 
Judge Delays SEC Settlement With Elon Musk Over Twitter Stock Disclosure Case 
Japan Considers Extra Budget Aid Amid Rising Fuel and Utility Costs 
Oil Prices Slip as Strait of Hormuz Disruptions and U.S. Inventory Data Keep Markets on Edge 
Bolsonaro Discharged After Shoulder Surgery Amid Ongoing Legal Troubles 
Amazon Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Trump Tariff Price Hikes 
Trump and Xi Temple of Heaven Visit Highlights Trade and Diplomacy Goals 
Trump-Xi Summit Sparks Renewed Hope for Americans Detained in China 
Rubio Discusses Iran Crisis and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions With UK and Australia 
BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Grow as Board Member Signals Hawkish Stance 
Dollar Surges as Inflation Data Fuels Fed Rate Hike Expectations 
Coles “Down Down” Ruling Sparks Fresh Scrutiny of Australian Supermarket Pricing 
ICC Pressure Mounts as Families of Duterte Drug War Victims Demand Justice 
The clam harvest figure in Kumamoto Prefecture didn’t add up to a ministry's survey, raising suspicions that clams from South Korean and Chinese waters were being passed off as locally caught.
Kumamoto Prefecture is renowned for producing some of Japan’s plumpest and tastiest “asari.”
Consequently, shipments of local “tennen-iki asari” clams harvested in local waters will be suspended for about two months, effective Feb. 8 while an investigation by the central government into false labeling is being sought.
During the suspension period, prefectural authorities will ask retailers to check the origin of clams sold as “produced in Kumamoto.”
Kumamoto Governor Ikuo Kabashima emphasized that there will be no future for the Kumamoto brand unless falsification issues are rooted out immediately.
He added that the Kumamoto federation of fisheries cooperative associations will cooperate in the prefectural government’s efforts.
A Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries survey on sales of fresh clams at supermarkets nationwide released Feb. 1 revealed that the volume of clams on offer as “produced in Kumamoto” far exceeded the annual haul in Kumamoto Prefecture.
From October to December last year, the ministry targeted around 1,000 supermarkets that operate in multiple prefectures, including Tokyo, for investigation on suspicions of false labeling of fresh clams.
Based on the findings, 3,111 tons, or 99.1 percent, of 3,138 tons of clams sold during the period were sold as “domestically produced,” with 2,485 tons, or 79.2 percent, being labeled as coming from Kumamoto Prefecture.
But the annual tonnage of clams in 2020 harvested in Japan as a whole came to 4,400 tons, of which clams produced in Kumamoto Prefecture came to a mere 21 tons.
About 35,000 tons of clams were imported from China and South Korea that year.
The findings prompted the ministry to purchase 31 packages of clams labeled as produced in Kumamoto Prefecture for DNA testing.
It discovered that all but one of the packages contained clams originating from China or South Korea.
The ministry also vowed to investigate distribution routes through on-site inspections of wholesalers to determine if laws were broken.
The ministry notified supply chain organizations such as supermarkets and fishery wholesale companies to thoroughly check the origin of their purchases.
