Latest news with #Kiichi
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Owners Of Former Michelin Star Restaurant In Japan Arrested After 80 Cases Of Food Poisoning
Owners of a popular restaurant in Japan have been arrested after nearly 80 diners reported coming down with food poisoning after eating food from the restaurant. Kiichi, a restaurant in Japan's Osaka Prefecture, is run by family members Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and son Hirotoshi, 41. All three of them were arrested on June 16, 2025. Authorities suspect that they violated the Food Sanitation Act, which requires food establishments to implement basic hygiene and safety standards, reported the New York Post. In early February, Kiichi was ordered to suspend its services after 33 customers reported symptoms aligning with food poisoning and norovirus, including diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting. As per reports, despite the order to suspend the services, the restaurant allegedly continued to operate behind closed doors. They sold 11 traditional Japanese lunch box meals on February 16, 2025, that were contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, according to the investigators. Norovirus was detected in the restaurant's food for a second time, and 23 diners reported food poisoning in February. The restaurant's suspension was extended through March. Police suspected that the food poisoning and norovirus cases were a result of poor management. The restaurant finally admitted to not enforcing strong hygiene practices. In late March, it wrote on its website, "We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence." Kiichi was honoured with a Michelin star for the Kansai region during the 2010s, but the restaurant was later removed from the prestigious list.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- New York Post
Family owners of former Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan arrested after nearly 80 cases of food poisoning
A family trio behind a Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan that had a steep fall from grace was arrested after nearly 80 diners reported coming down with food poisoning in February. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and son Hirotoshi, 41, who all run the Kiichi restaurant in Japan's Osaka Prefecture were arrested on Monday. Authorities suspect that they violated the Food Sanitation Act, which requires food industries to implement basic hygiene and safety standards. In early February, Kiichi was ordered to suspend its services after a staggering 33 customers reported symptoms aligning with food poisoning and norovirus, including diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting, Kyodo News reported. Advertisement The owners of the Kiichi restaurant in Japan were arrested after nearly 80 diners reported cases of food poisoning and norovirus. Google maps Unperturbed by the mass illness tied to their restaurant, the Kitano family allegedly continued to operate behind closed doors and sold 11 traditional Japanese lunch box meals on Feb. 16 that investigators believe were contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Even more people became sick in the following days. Norovirus was detected in the restaurant's food for a second time, as another 23 diners reported food poisoning, all before the end of February. Advertisement The restaurant's suspension was extended through March as police began to suspect that the food poisoning and norovirus cases were a result of poor management behind the scenes. Eventually, Kiichi admitted to not enforcing strong hygiene practices among its staff. The Kiichi restaurant held one coveted Michelin star during the 2010s. Ricochet64 – Advertisement 'We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence,' the restaurant wrote on its website in late March. Kiichi boasted a coveted one-star rating in the Michelin Guide for the Kansai region during the 2010s before eventually being booted off the acclaimed list. On the other side of the world, a Brazilian family was poisoned by a relative after she purposefully dumped expired products and a mysterious white liquid into a cake she baked. The gruesome triple homicide took place mere months after the deviant baker's husband died from food poisoning.
Hindustan Times
17-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Japan's Michelin-listed eatery owners arrested as customers test positive for ‘highly contagious illness'
Three members of a family in Japan who run a once Michelin-starred restaurant in Osaka were arrested Monday after nearly 80 people fell ill from food poisoning earlier this year, according to local reports. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and their son Hirotoshi Kitano, 41, were taken into custody on suspicion of violating Japan's Food Sanitation Act. The family runs Kiichi, a traditional Japanese restaurant located in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture. The restaurant was first ordered to shut down in February after dozens of customers reported symptoms including diarrhea and stomach pain, Kyodo News reported. Some of the cases tested positive for norovirus — a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, the UK Independent reported. Officials said the initial two-day suspension came after 33 people became sick after eating at the restaurant on February 8. But investigators later discovered that Kiichi continued to operate and sold 11 bento lunch boxes on February 16. Those meals were also suspected to be contaminated. Also Read: 'New Baba Vanga' predicts major disaster on this date. It's sooner than you think In the following days, more people reported getting sick, and norovirus was again found in the food, prompting a second suspension in March. Authorities believe poor hygiene at the restaurant was the cause of the outbreak. The restaurant acknowledged the issue and apologized publicly on March 20 after the suspension was lifted. 'We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence,' the statement read. All of the people who fell ill have since recovered. Kiichi once held a one-star rating in the Michelin Guide during the 2010s and describes itself as a 'famed Kyoto kaiseki restaurant that has been continuing for a quarter of a century.'
Japan Today
16-06-2025
- Japan Today
Former Michelin-star restaurant owner arrested after food poisonings
Members of a family who run a formerly Michelin-starred restaurant in western Japan were arrested Monday for ignoring an order to temporarily shut it down after a spate of food poisoning cases, investigative sources said. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his son Hirotoshi, 41, and wife Noriko 68, have all been involved in operating traditional Japanese-style restaurant Kiichi in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, and are alleged to have violated the Food Sanitation Act. According to the prefectural government and other sources, the restaurant was handed a two-day business suspension order on Feb. 15 after 33 customers experienced developed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea following meals at the restaurant or after consuming "bento" boxed meals sold between early and mid-February. Norovirus was detected in some of the people, which a local public health center determined was linked to food poisoning. Subsequently, 23 more people who ate at the restaurant between Feb. 22 and 24 fell sick and norovirus was again detected, prompting authorities to order the restaurant to close from March 2. The business prohibition order was lifted at the noon of March 18. Investigators later found that the establishment had continued to sell bento boxes during the initial suspension order. According to the sources, the three family members, all residents of Kawachinagano, were arrested for allegedly selling 11 bento boxes to customers on Feb. 16. They have admitted to the allegation, telling investigators they underestimated the norovirus situation. © KYODO
Kyodo News
16-06-2025
- Kyodo News
Former Michelin-star restaurant owner arrested after food poisonings
KYODO NEWS - 10 hours ago - 17:27 | All, Japan Members of a family who run a formerly Michelin-starred restaurant in western Japan were arrested Monday for ignoring an order to temporarily shut it down after a spate of food poisoning cases, investigative sources said. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his son Hirotoshi, 41, and wife Noriko 68, have all been involved in operating traditional Japanese-style restaurant Kiichi in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture, and are alleged to have violated the Food Sanitation Act. According to the prefectural government and other sources, the restaurant was handed a two-day business suspension order on Feb. 15 after 33 customers experienced developed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea following meals at the restaurant or after consuming "bento" boxed meals sold between early and mid-February. Norovirus was detected in some of the people, which a local public health center determined was linked to food poisoning. Subsequently, 23 more people who ate at the restaurant between Feb. 22 and 24 fell sick and norovirus was again detected, prompting authorities to order the restaurant to close from March 2. The business prohibition order was lifted at the noon of March 18. Investigators later found that the establishment had continued to sell bento boxes during the initial suspension order. According to the sources, the three family members, all residents of Kawachinagano, were arrested for allegedly selling 11 bento boxes to customers on Feb. 16. They have admitted to the allegation, telling investigators they underestimated the norovirus situation.
