Who was sanctioned, and for what?

From February 2020 to May 2024, Excom Global advertised its rental of mobile Wi-Fi routers for travel abroad ('Imoto no WiFi') in travel-guide adverts and on its own websites as number one for customer satisfaction, for being chosen by overseas travellers and for customer service. The commissioned survey, without checking actual use, merely asked for impressions of the websites of the company and nine arbitrarily selected competitors and was also not reproduced accurately; a surcharge of 172,620,000 JPY was imposed.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 8 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 1 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Telecoms, IT and software

Culpability

negligent

Published

12 Mar 2026

Original amount 172,620,000 JPY, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Mar 2026.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From March to May 2025, Kinpodo advertised family funerals in exclusively rented halls under the name 'Chiisana Mori no Ie' in television commercials at a price 'from 104,500 JPY'. In fact, apart from a few cases, customers had to pay at least 308,000 JPY; the order required a corrective notice, measures to prevent recurrence and cessation.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

18 Sep 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Because revenue had been overstated at the company and its consolidated subsidiary or subsidiaries, the quarterly report for the third quarter of 2023 (filed on 10 November 2023) showed a consolidated loss of 1,382,861 thousand JPY instead of 1,662,516 thousand JPY; the registration statement for a share issue relied on this report, and on 26 February 2024 3,784,200 shares were issued for 3,999,899,400 JPY. After the company admitted the facts and the amount, an administrative monetary penalty (kachōkin) of 91,495,000 JPY was imposed: 1,500,000 JPY for the quarterly report and 89,995,000 JPY for the registration statement.

Authority / court

Financial Services Agency (FSA, 金融庁) auf Empfehlung der Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC, 証券取引等監視委員会)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Disclosure and reporting obligations

Legal basis

Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA, 金融商品取引法) Art. 172-4 Abs. 2 a. F., Art. 172-2 Abs. 1 Nr. 1, Art. 185-7 Abs. 1 und 14

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Energy and utilities

Mitigating circumstances

Both partial amounts were halved because the company had filed a report for a reduction before the inspection began (Art. 185-7(14) FIEA).

Published

17 Sep 2026

Original amount 91,495,000 JPY, converted at the ECB reference rate of 16 Sep 2026.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Through a software vulnerability in a mail platform developed by KDDI and provided to several internet service providers, unauthorised parties obtained the credentials (email address and password) of 12,231,954 people; 7,616,173 passwords were stored in plain text, so mailboxes could be read (discovered on 17 June 2026). The authority gave KDDI guidance (shidō) under Art. 147 APPI to improve its technical security measures because access controls against attackers spreading through the system had been inadequate, required a report by 19 October 2026 and also gave such guidance to individual providers responsible for the plain-text storage.

Authority / court

Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC, 個人情報保護委員会)

Area of law

Data protection · Data breaches and data security

Legal basis

Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI, 個人情報の保護に関する法律) Art. 147, Art. 146 Abs. 1

Action

Reprimand or warning

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Telecoms, IT and software

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

19 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

SNOW Japan, to which South Korea's Snow Corporation had left decisions on advertising content in Japan for the jointly offered service, had users of X publish posts about the AI image functions of the 'SNOW' app from April 2025 onwards, for payment and following its instructions, without making the commission recognisable; the posts were treated as advertising by both companies. On 6 August 2026 each of them received an order to stop the display of posts still online, inform consumers and take measures to prevent recurrence.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 3 (Bekanntmachung zu Stealth-Marketing) Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Media and online platforms

Published

6 Aug 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From February to May 2025 the online broker wrongly displayed at least 77 US ETFs and ETNs as eligible for NISA (59 clients traded 25 of them in the tax-advantaged account) and repeated this for a further security after discovery, handled affected clients carelessly and unequally, had since 2024 refused all transfers of holdings to other institutions, carried out no suspicious-transaction assessment for at least 1,531 rejected account applicants and managed cyber and system risks inadequately. Soliciting and accepting new accounts was prohibited from 19 June to 18 September 2026, together with a business improvement order.

Authority / court

Kanto Local Finance Bureau (関東財務局) auf Empfehlung der Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC, 証券取引等監視委員会)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Organisational requirements

Legal basis

Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA, 金融商品取引法) Art. 52 Abs. 1, Art. 51; Art. 38 Nr. 1, Art. 43, Art. 40 Nr. 2 FIEA i. V. m. Art. 123 Abs. 1 Nr. 14 Cabinet Office Order on Financial Instruments Business; Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪収益移転防止法)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Published

19 Jun 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

GEO Store advertised, among other channels on the official GEO account on X, for example from 12 May to 8 June 2025, a 10% bonus on buy-back prices for used smartphones and tablets that was said to apply only until a certain date. In fact, the same or higher bonuses were available afterwards; the investigation was conducted jointly with the Chubu office of the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC, 公正取引委員会).

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Published

11 Jun 2026

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

In a promotional letter of January 2025 for its paid fan club 'TEAM26', the baseball club Chiba Lotte Marines gave the impression that every new member would definitely receive a ball hand-signed by a player at the booth by the stadium, although only some members received one. Instead of an order, a commitment plan was approved on 23 December 2025 – a board resolution, information for consumers, measures to prevent recurrence, allegedly a partial refund of annual fees and reports on implementation; no infringement was thereby established.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 30, Art. 31 Abs. 1 und 3 (Zusagenverfahren), Verdacht eines Verstoßes gegen Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Other

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

23 Dec 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Among other things, between 2004 and 2011 the credit cooperative had channelled loans taken out in the names of uninvolved people without their knowledge, and via shell companies, to a distressed large borrower group, thereby circumventing large-exposure limits; it had paid large cash sums to anti-social forces (hanshakai-teki seiryoku), carried out no suspicious-transaction assessments and given false reports and false statements to the supervisor. Besides a comprehensive business improvement order, lending to new clients was suspended from 17 November to 16 December 2025, combined with training of all staff away from day-to-day business and the immediate severing of ties with anti-social forces; it was the second order against the cooperative in 2025.

Authority / court

Financial Services Agency (FSA, 金融庁)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Organisational requirements

Legal basis

Act on Financial Businesses by Cooperatives (協同組合による金融事業に関する法律) Art. 6 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Banking Act (銀行法) Art. 26 Abs. 1; Art. 10 Nr. 2 und 3 (falsche Berichte und Aussagen); Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪収益移転防止法)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Repeat case

yes

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

31 Oct 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

On the website of its 'NOVA' English schools, NOVA Language Company advertised several courses, for example in September 2024, by waiving an enrolment fee of 22,000 JPY (11,000 JPY for a children's course). The company had not charged anyone such a fee over a considerable recent period; the order required a corrective notice, measures to prevent recurrence and cessation.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Other

Published

17 Oct 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

From 8 October to 23 November 2024, Japanet Takata offered a two-tier New Year food box ('osechi' for 2025) in its online shop, stating that the 'Japanet regular price' of 29,980 JPY had been reduced by 10,000 JPY to 19,980 JPY, with the regular price presented as applying after the promotion ended. There was no reliable plan to sell at the higher price afterwards; the investigation was conducted jointly with the Kyushu office of the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC, 公正取引委員会).

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 2 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Published

12 Sep 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

P&G Japan advertised its 'Febreze bathroom anti-mould' product (ファブリーズ お風呂用防カビ剤), among other things on the packaging from April 2022 to May 2023, by claiming that simply placing it in the bathroom would prevent black mould for around six weeks. The documents submitted did not substantiate this effect, so the advertising was deemed misleading; the order required a corrective notice, measures to prevent recurrence and cessation.

Authority / court

Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁, CAA)

Area of law

Consumer protection and online retail · Misleading advertising and pricing

Legal basis

Art. 7 Abs. 1 und 2 i. V. m. Art. 5 Nr. 1 Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法, Gesetz Nr. 134/1962)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Chemicals and pharmaceuticals

Published

1 Aug 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Between 17 August 2022 and 5 June 2023, in 18 shipments, the company exported a total of 523 items whose export to Russia is restricted, including motorcycles and personal watercraft, to Russia without the minister’s approval, declaring South Korea as the final destination. Under Art. 53(2) and (3) of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, the company was barred from 16 May 2025 to 15 May 2026 from exporting any goods listed in Appended Table 2-3 of the Export Trade Control Order to any destination, including via third parties. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.

Authority / court

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI, 経済産業省)

Area of law

Sanctions and export control · Breaches of sanctions and embargoes

Legal basis

Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外国為替及び外国貿易法) Art. 53 Abs. 2 und 3; Export Trade Control Order (輸出貿易管理令) Anhang 2-3

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Retail and e-commerce

Culpability

intentional

Liability of senior managers

Measures against individuals are not set out here.

Published

9 May 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Multi-insurer agencies had forwarded policyholder data to competing insurers, and insurance staff seconded to agencies had sent the agencies’ customer data to their employer without the agencies’ consent; from the agency channel alone, Tokio Marine & Nichido reported 1,004,861, Sompo Japan 799,331, Mitsui Sumitomo 319,915 and Aioi Nissay Dowa 221,144 affected records. The business improvement orders under Art. 132(1) of the Insurance Business Act require a compliance organisation for data protection and unfair competition law, customer data management also at the agencies, stricter rules on secondments, a review by external experts and a fundamental overhaul of the improvement plans submitted after the December 2023 order.

Authority / court

Financial Services Agency (FSA, 金融庁)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Organisational requirements

Legal basis

Insurance Business Act (保険業法) Art. 132 Abs. 1; Bezug zum APPI (個人情報保護法) und zum Unfair Competition Prevention Act (不正競争防止法)

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Employees

10,000 or more

Repeat case

yes

Published

24 Mar 2025

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

Between June and November 2023 and between July and September 2024, the bank failed to assess at least 14,639 transactions flagged by its transaction monitoring for whether suspicious transaction reports were needed, and took up to 152 days on monthly average to file reports (February 2024). It had also not implemented the measures required by the supervisory AML/CFT guidelines by the end-March 2024 deadline and had not remedied findings from the previous inspection. The business improvement order under Art. 26(1) of the Banking Act requires, among other things, the outstanding reviews and reports to be completed and governance by the board and management to be fundamentally strengthened.

Authority / court

Financial Services Agency (FSA, 金融庁)

Area of law

Money laundering and terrorist financing · Suspicious activity reports

Legal basis

Banking Act (銀行法) Art. 26 Abs. 1; Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪収益移転防止法); Guidelines for AML/CFT der FSA

Action

Order

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Repeat case

yes

Liability of senior managers

According to the reasons, the board and management neither established the facts themselves nor gave instructions despite repeated signals from backlogs, inspection findings and internal audit; the order requires responsibility to be clarified.

Published

26 Dec 2024

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link

A person engaged in the firm’s proprietary trading had, on 9 March 2021, repeatedly placed several layered orders in the order book for the long-term JGB future (March 2021 contract) on the Osaka Exchange to create a false impression of active trading, and then bought lower or sold higher. After administrative proceedings were opened, Nomura admitted the facts and the amount; an administrative monetary penalty (kachōkin) of 21,760,000 JPY was imposed, made up of 6,940,000 JPY for the matched volume and 14,820,000 JPY for the excess purchases.

Authority / court

Financial Services Agency (FSA, 金融庁) auf Empfehlung der Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC, 証券取引等監視委員会)

Area of law

Capital markets and financial supervision · Market abuse and insider dealing

Legal basis

Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA, 金融商品取引法) Art. 174-2 Abs. 1 und 8, Art. 159 Abs. 2 Nr. 1; FIEA Enforcement Order Art. 33-13 Nr. 2; Art. 185-7 Abs. 1

Action

Fine

Status of proceedings

unknown

Sector

Financial services and insurance

Employees

10,000 or more

Published

31 Oct 2024

Original amount 21,760,000 JPY, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 Oct 2024.

Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link