Former Michelin-starred restaurant owners arrested after alleged mass food poisoning

Three people have been arrested in Japan after a serious food poisoning outbreak linked to their former Michelin-starred restaurant left nearly 80 people ill earlier this year.

According to The Independent, Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and their son Hirotoshi Kitano, 41, were taken into custody on Monday on suspicion of violating Japan’s Food Sanitation Act.

The trio run Kiichi, a traditional Japanese restaurant located in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture.

The restaurant came under scrutiny in February after dozens of guests reported symptoms including diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Several of those affected later tested positive for norovirus - a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis.

According to local media outlet Kyodo News, health authorities initially ordered Kiichi to suspend operations for two days starting February 15, after at least 33 people who dined at the restaurant on February 8 fell ill.

However, despite the order, investigators discovered that the restaurant resumed business prematurely and sold 11 bento boxes on February 16. These meals are now suspected to have also been contaminated, prompting further illnesses and a second, extended suspension in March.

The police allege that poor hygiene management was at the root of the outbreak. In total, nearly 80 people were affected, though officials confirmed that all have since recovered.

Kiichi publicly acknowledged its failings and issued an apology on its website following the lifting of the suspension order in March.

It read: “We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence.”

Once celebrated in the Michelin Guide for the Kansai region during the 2010s, Kiichi had earned a coveted one-star rating. 

The investigation into the Kitano family continues as authorities consider further legal action.