Some of the roughly 21 tons of "bento" boxed lunches imported between Aug. 16 and Aug. 20 from the United States by an affiliate of East Japan Railway Co. did not contain sufficient meat and fish, according to company sources.
While most of the bento were fine, a small portion over the five-day period contained less than the 20 percent meat and fish required under the Customs Law to qualify for lower tariffs, according to the sources.
The boxed lunches, made at a U.S. subsidiary of Nippon Restaurant Enterprise Inc., are imported by NRE and sold throughout the metropolitan area at Japan Railway stations.
NRE President Masaoki Takeda apologized Friday, saying, "Our weight-checking tests at the U.S. subsidiary and other checking systems were inadequate."
Foreign bento have been available in JR East railway stations since July. The products contain organic U.S. rice and natural foods and come in three types, ranging in price from 330 yen to 600 yen.
Representatives of the cooperatives, critical of the popular imported bento, say foreign boxed lunches may increase rice imports at a time when domestic rice growers are smarting from production cutbacks.