Inaba Foods Addresses Old House Controversy Amid Ongoing Internal Leaks
“Inaba Foods is an owner-operated company founded by the Inaba family in 1805. Even if a scandal occurs, the hurdle for dismissal is very high.
One possible exception might be if the company is held criminally liable under the Labor Standards Act or the Food Sanitation Act, which could force a resignation to take responsibility in the eyes of the public,” said the same national newspaper reporter.
In response to the situation, some businesses have decided to cut ties with the company.
On April 26, the TV anime “Wonderful Pretty Cure!” (TV Asahi) announced on its official website that it had canceled the collaboration campaign with Inaba Foods, “Inaba Wan Churu & Inaba CIAO Churu × ‘Wonderful Pretty Cure!’ Image Posting Campaign.” While details were not provided, the announcement explained,
“Due to various circumstances, we have decided to cancel after discussions.”
This has even led to a boycott movement among some cat lovers online. Inaba Foods has been responding through their website and other means, but internal leaks do not seem to be stopping.
“Neither President Inaba nor Chairwoman Yuko have come forward to apologize. They seem to be adopting a silence is golden approach, waiting for the storm to pass. However, the grievances from employees and staff, once ignited, are unlikely to subside easily.
Initially, the issue was about the employee dormitory being ‘too rundown,’ but it has gradually escalated to concerns about the factory’s hygiene and violations of the Food Sanitation Act, which are critical to their operations. If they want to quell the situation quickly, it is crucial for those responsible to come forward, apologize, and announce measures for improvement,” said a TV station reporter.
The wall of Inaba Foods’ factory reads, “Making cats around the world happy.” We hope they will also take actions that satisfy the cat owners who love those cats.
