Hankyu Hanshin Hotels Co. has been misrepresenting items on its menus for seven years at eateries in at least four prefectures, possibly scamming some 79,000 patrons in the process, and management is blaming the misdeeds on employees ignorant about the law.
The hotelier said Friday it is being inundated with calls from irate customers seeking reimbursement for their meals.
The wrongdoing, which according to media reports included claiming on menus that frozen fish was fresh, prepared chocolate was hand-made, and boasting a prestigious red caviar that turns out was flying fish eggs, started in March 2006 and ended last month. As of Thursday morning, the firm had reimbursed 3,480 customers to the tune of ¥12.2 million.