Blogs On More Scandals
Fujiya is one of the most famous confectionary brands in Japan; with cake shops all over the place, and their chocolate in most convenient stores. Peco-Chan, the company's mascot, is much loved by the Japanese.
A few weeks ago, it was found that they were using expired milk in some of their products. This caused major uproar and since then, they have not been producing any more stock. Some of my students are vehemently opposed to Fujiya making a comeback, but many aren't bothered as they don't think it's a big deal.
This is a Fujiya shop in Kamakura. Twinned with an ice-cream stall, that is the only reason it stays open. Rather a sorry sight, especially with poor Peco-Chan in the foreground.
In a funny - but I suppose perhaps logical - turn of events, the newspapers have since been filled with apologies from many businesses about the smallest of mistakes; to escape being caught up in a backlash.
As the TimesOnline reports:
In recent days Japanese newspapers have been filled with advertisements apologising for defective goods and pleading for them to be returned.
They range from potentially serious problems, such as glass in bottles of Gallo wine to the frankly footling: Earl Grey tea bags that lack an expiry date — and the case of the aged Starbucks cake. This last incident was set out in solemn detail in an advertisement in this week’s Yomiuri and Asahi newspapers. Two pieces of Viennese tart sold at the Kita Senju branch in northern Tokyo were determined to have been past their sell-by date. Three days later the hunt began for the unwitting customer.
“If you remember buying these products at around 5.25pm please contact us. We will explain the detail,” the advertisement begs. “If you still have not eaten the cake, please refrain from doing so and bring it to the store.”
The Yomiuri and Asahi between them sell more than 17 million copies a day. One advertisement alone cost at least £5,700.
Other alarms publicised in the past few days include fragments of plate in Unilever’s Rama margarine, bits of metal in an isotonic drink made by Coca-Cola, and weak buckles on in-line rollerblades.
“This is the quietest month of the year, but we’ve received more apology notices than ever,” said a member of the Yomiuri’s advertising team.
2 comments:
expired tarts in Japan, shock horror whatever next?
People complained when I served them Fosters Ice rather than Fosters. "It's too cold" they'd moan. My reply, "Well, leave it for 5 minutes" never did the trick.
I guess British customer service and Japanese are world's apart, although I'm not saying the exceptionally polite Japanese system isn't without its problems.
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