#Cartel

Japan's competition watchdog searched Asahi, Kirin, Suntory and Sapporo on October 7, 2026, over suspected coordination of wholesale beer prices. Nothing is proven. How would Europe or the US punish it?

Japan's antitrust regulator raided six major ice cream makers over an alleged price-fixing cartel. Among them: Akagi Nyugyo, the maker of Garigari-kun, a company beloved for theatrically apologizing over a 10-yen price increase. Here is what the probe alleges and why it stings.