In a trial, a company that was contracted to ship hometown tax donation gifts from Hachimantai City, Iwate Prefecture, and its representative director were found guilty of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act for sending matsutake mushrooms grown outside the prefecture under the false pretense that they were produced locally. , The Morioka District Court ruled that the description "from a local producer" on the box used for shipping only indicated that it was a return gift and did not mislead the origin of the product. rice field.
In 2018, Rikuzentakata City's general incorporated association "Dream Project" and its representative director, Kinya Seki (61), were commissioned by Hachimantai City to send hometown tax donation gifts. He was accused of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention Act by misrepresenting that the product was made locally.
The matsutake mushrooms from outside the prefecture were shipped in boxes labeled "From a producer in Hachimantai City," and it was a point of contention whether or not this description misleads the locality of production.
In the ruling, Chief Judge Shinichiro Nakajima of the Morioka District Court said, ``I can't say that there was no problem with not telling the donor that it wasn't made locally, but the description on the cardboard box was a return gift for the hometown tax donation. It's just an indication of something," he said.
After that, they were acquitted on the grounds that they did not misidentify the production area.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hiroki Takeuchi of the Morioka District Public Prosecutor's Office commented on the ruling, "We would like to carefully examine the contents and discuss with the higher agency, and respond appropriately."