Osaka Expo Scandal — Popular Korean Restaurant Accused of Food Mislabeling and Illegal Hiring
A former employee of a popular Korean restaurant at the Osaka World Expo confessed that the restaurant used common ingredients falsely labeled as "domestic organic" and that there were foreigners on staff who did not have residency status.
Their signature selling point was abandoned — replaced by outright food mislabeling
The Osaka–Kansai Expo, which has already surpassed 25 million visitors, is nearing its final two weeks — but a troubling allegation has cast a shadow over the event’s excitement.
“There’s a restaurant here that claims to use organic ingredients but actually uses regular ones — and even employs foreign workers without proper work permits. I was an employee there. I couldn’t stand by and watch such misconduct at a world-class event like the Expo, so I decided to come forward and tell the truth.”
These are the words of Mr. A, a man who says he worked at the Korean restaurant “Gyeongbokgung” (景福宮) inside the Expo grounds. What exactly happened inside this popular family-friendly spot?
“I started working at Gyeongbokgung in April this year, mainly handling ingredient procurement. The restaurant’s main selling point was organic Korean cuisine using JAS-certified organic vegetables and seasonings. The menu even listed items like organic eggs and organic onions. In the beginning, we really were using organic ingredients. But—around June, the restaurant stopped ordering organic products.”
Why would they abandon their own unique selling point?
“It was due to logistical delays in deliveries and cost-cutting measures. Under instructions from the operating company, items like eggs, carrots, onions, and sesame oil were switched to non-organic, regular products,” said Mr. A.
A delivery slip from June 30, 2025, provided by Mr. A, lists items such as “Kadoya sesame oil 1650g × 18 units,” confirming the purchase of non-organic goods. He went on:
“I don’t know the exact place of origin, but in the store’s storage area, there were cardboard boxes filled with onions labeled ‘Product of China’. Around September, the restaurant publicly admitted to using non-organic onions, bean sprouts, and carrots — but to my knowledge, eggs, soy sauce, and other ingredients were also replaced with regular ones.”
Another suspicion
The suspicion that surfaced was not limited to food fraud.
“At Gyeongbokgung, in order to cut labor costs, the restaurant relied on foreign workers, but around ten of them were working without valid residence status. Normally, foreigners who wish to work in Japan’s food service industry need a Specified Skilled Worker visa, yet some were working under general work visas or even tourist visas. Isn’t this considered illegal employment?” said Mr. A.
Is Mr. A’s accusation true? When a written inquiry was sent to the company operating Gyeongbokgung, their attorney replied as follows:
“According to our internal investigation, at Gyeongbokgung, ingredients such as onions, carrots, bean sprouts, and sesame oil were temporarily replaced with general (non-organic) products due to unavoidable reasons—logistical restrictions at the Expo site and miscommunication during a managerial handover. However, each time such general ingredients were used, we promptly notified customers with in-store notices and reported it to the Expo Association.
(Regarding illegal employment) Our company received an introduction of 12 Korean nationals from the Korea Excellent Products Promotion Association who were permitted to work at the Osaka Expo. The association requested to conduct training for these 12 individuals as part of a food service business program at the Expo in Japan. We accepted this and provided the training from the Expo’s opening until around Japan’s Golden Week in May. No wages were paid to these 12 individuals by our company; we merely conducted the training on behalf of the association. Therefore, there is no truth to the allegation of illegal employment.”
Mr. A sighed after hearing this response.
“They used regular (non-organic) ingredients beyond what they disclosed. In addition to Koreans, several Nepalese workers were employed at Gyeongbokgung, and I confirmed through their residence cards that they didn’t hold Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 status. Why aren’t they mentioned in the company’s statement? And even if it was under the pretext of training, is it acceptable to let foreigners on tourist visas work? It sounds like a desperate excuse to me.”
Mr. A also reported these allegations to a representative of the Expo Association, which oversees the restaurant operations. When contacted by phone, the representative repeatedly said, “We cannot comment.”
With the Expo’s closing fast approaching, will the truth behind these suspicions ever come to light?
From the October 17, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO.： Kei Kato (2nd to 4th photos)
