Japan’s competition authority has conducted surprise inspections at several of the country’s leading ice cream manufacturers amid suspicions of illegal price coordination, the BBC reported.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) targeted six companies — Meiji, Morinaga Milk Industry, Lotte, Morinaga, Ezaki Glico and Akagi Nyugyo — over concerns that they colluded to raise frozen dessert prices beyond what rising raw material costs would justify.
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing anonymous sources, the companies allegedly raised prices of popular frozen treats multiple times over the years, with each increase ranging from 5% to 10%.
The case has drawn public attention amid allegations that consumers were deliberately overcharged for one of summer’s most popular treats. Japan is currently enduring another punishing summer, following what was officially its hottest year on record in 2025.
