Reflecting a year that was jam-packed with food makers' scandals, including false labeling, the Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation announced earlier this month that "nise," meaning "fake," best symbolized 2008 in a single character.
But despite breaking the hearts of fans of Shiroi Koibito chocolate cookies by lying about their shelf life, Sapporo-based Ishiya Trading Co. came back in style following a self-imposed three-month sales hiatus.
"Sales of Shiroi Koibito have tripled in comparison to the same period last year," Hiroaki Ogawa, spokesman for the scandal-hit confectioner, told The Japan Times. "We've improved the chocolate and cookies used in the product, while also revamping our production management."