Japan raids ice cream giants over price-fixing allegations

Japan's competition watchdog has raided some of the country's biggest ice cream makers for allegedly forming a cartel to raise the price of their products.

Some of the firms, including Meiji and Pocky maker Ezaki Glico, said this week that they have been subject to an "on-site inspection" by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) over suspicions that they fixed the prices of frozen desserts.

The JFTC said it is not releasing a statement regarding the investigation.

The companies are suspected of inflating ice cream prices beyond increases in the cost of raw materials, even as the country faces a hot summer with record high temperatures.

The six firms that were raided on Tuesday were Meiji, Morinaga Milk Industry, Lotte, Morinaga, Ezaki Glico and Akagi Nyugyo.

The firms improperly raised prices of popular desserts "several times by 5-10% over the years", according to Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing anonymous sources.

The brands distribute their products wholesale to supermarkets and convenience stores across Japan.

Morinaga Milk, Glico and Meiji said in separate statements that they would co-operate with the authorities' investigation.

"As reported by some media outlets today, our company has been subject to an on-site inspection by the Fair Trade Commission on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act in connection with the setting of sales prices for ice cream and other products," Meiji said.

"We take this inspection very seriously and will cooperate fully with the Fair Trade Commission's investigation," the Hello Panda snack maker wrote.

Glico said: "We will respond in good faith to the Fair Trade Commission's investigation and cooperate fully."

Earlier this year, Japan unveiled a new name for days that reach 40C (104F) or above, after the country experienced its hottest summer on record in 2025.

The term – kokushobi – has been translated as "cruelly hot", "brutally hot" or "severely hot" day by Japanese and international media.

Some see a double standard: Japanese men who clean in public while their wives do all the housework.

Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart apologises after saying that Japan players "all look alike" during their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.

This unique, indigenous way to produce food has been used for 4,500 years. Could it help prevent tropical deforestation?

Japan needs to revisit the pacifist posture that has defined it since World War Two, Shinjiro Koizumi says.

Bear attacks are at a record high in Japan, so officials in Tochigi held drills on how to respond to them.

Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.