The Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. (Mainichi/Kenji Yoneda)

       TOKYO -- The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) searched the headquarters of the operator of major conveyor-belt sushi chain Kappa Sushi in late June over suspicions its president illicitly obtained sales data from a rival chain he used to work for, in violation of the law banning unfair competition, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned.

       Koki Tanabe, president of Yokohama-based Kappa Create Co., is suspected of obtaining sales data of Tokyo-based Hama-Sushi Co., where he was previously a director, from a former colleague at the rival firm. The MPD conducted its search on June 28 on suspicion that the information's acquisition violated Japan's Unfair Competition Prevention Act, sources told the Mainichi.

       Kappa Create Co. announced on July 5 that Hama-Sushi had filed a complaint against Tanabe on suspicion of violating the law. It said that on several occasions between November last year, when Tanabe became an adviser, and mid-December, he personally received daily Hama-Sushi sales data and other information from a former colleague on several occasions. The company said it would cooperate fully with the investigation and strictly handle punishments of those involved based on the investigation's development.

       Tanabe served as a director for Hama-Sushi Co., which operates under major food chain Zensho Holdings Co. based in Tokyo's Minato Ward, between 2014 and 2017. After assuming a role as adviser for Kappa in November 2020, he became vice president of the company the following month, and president in February 2021.

       (Japanese original by Makoto Kakizaki, Tokyo City News Department)

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