Another big labeling scam is unraveling, and this time it's not over beef or milk but the nation's biggest tourist draw: "onsen" hot springs.
The scandal started at Shirahone Onsen, nestled in the mountains of Nagano Prefecture and popular for its "secret water," which has a milky white hue.
It was revealed in mid-July that officials running a municipal open-air spa and two other inns in the area had added water extracts from Kusatsu, another onsen enclave in Gunma Prefecture, to create that hue.