Japan Raids Ice Cream Giants in Cartel Investigation

It is the season for ice cream in Japan, as temperatures start to rise across the country. But trouble is brewing in the nation’s frozen dessert industry.

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission said this week that it had raided the offices of six leading ice cream manufacturers on suspicion that they were operating a cartel. The authorities said the companies had colluded to raise prices beyond an increase in the costs of raw materials, and that their actions had harmed customers.

The companies — Akagi Nyugyo, Ezaki Glico, Lotte, Meiji, Morinaga Milk Industry and Morinaga Co.— declined to comment beyond brief statements saying they would cooperate with the investigation.

The case threatens to undermine the reputations of some of the largest food companies operating in Japan. The ice cream industry has boomed in recent years and was valued at more than $4 billion last year, up about 3 percent from 2024. Convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines are stocked with favorites like soda-flavored Popsicles, frozen wafer sandwiches and red bean ice cream.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/world/asia/japan-ice-cream-cartel-investigation.html