CrimeJapan detects customs evasion, with operators suspected of trying to cut costsWagyu being inspected and processed. The Japanese beef has become increasingly popular in Asia. (Japan Livestock Products Export Promotion Council)YUSUKE OZAKI and EITO HASHIZUMEApril 12, 2026 09:00 JSTOSAKA -- Japanese authorities continue to uncover cases of wagyu beef exporters who are shipping to Hong Kong but falsely declaring the product is going to a country with looser regulations.Read NextFood & BeverageJapan miso maker's 'cultured umami essence' to hit US stores in summerFood & BeverageMitsubishi teams up with Swiss DKSH to sell Japan food in Southeast AsiaFood & BeverageChina baijiu boom town goes bust after Beijing's austerity orderCaixinChinese milk tea makers push further afield as Southeast Asia gets crowdedFukushima AnniversaryTsunami-hit Japanese fishery faces fresh challenge as main catch dwindlesTravel & LeisureKokubu bets on sake brewery tours for affluent overseas visitorsTea LeavesSoju mixes it up for a new generation of South Korean drinkersFood & BeverageJapan's Ajinomoto spices up home market with hit Thai, Brazilian productsFood & BeverageJapan's northern Hokkaido brewery taps into tradition to make new brewsLatest on CrimeCrimeSri Lanka emerges as new online scam hub after Cambodia and MyanmarCrimeExecutive linked to one of Asia's largest crime networks arrested in JapanCrimeMonths after scam crackdown, thousands remain stuck in Cambodia