Why did a company that “makes cats around the world happy” become hated in Japan? The root cause of Inaba Foods’ continued controversy Why people were angry about “making new employees live in run-down houses” | PRESIDENT Online (President Online)

“Weekly Bunshun” reported that a number of new employees at the food manufacturer “Inaba Foods” declined to join the company, attracting attention. Associate Professor Hirohito Suzuki of Kobe Gakuin University said, “I believe that this incident has made not only those involved with Inaba Foods, but also many young people, a sense of urgency that “tomorrow will be mine”. There seems to be no end in sight to the “snitches”.”

“CIAO Churu” Inaba Foods has a 200-year history

“Inaba Foods” continues to be in flames.

In the wake of the report in the Weekly Bunshun Electronic Edition, negative reviews have been spreading one after another on the internet.

Although the company’s annual sales increased from 30 billion yen in 2016 to 170 billion yen in eight years, the latest scandal has caused a deterioration in its image.

Inaba foods, such as pet food and canned foods, are close to consumers. The catchy commercial song (“Churu, Churu, CIAO Churu”) gives a soft impression. Until this news broke, many people may not have known that the company was founded in 1805 and has a history of over 200 years, or that its headquarters are in Shizuoka Prefecture.

There is no need to overstate the impact of the photos of the company’s “Yui’s Share House” scooped by “Weekly Bunshun Electronic Edition.” The photo of the dilapidated old folk house was filthy. In addition to the president’s wife being called the “empress” by Bunshun, the press release titled “Regarding Yui’s report on the Boro family” (both the title and content have now been changed) has become a hot topic as being a “mysterious document”. Ta. Its good image has been blown away, and it is being treated like the embodiment of an unscrupulous company.

The root cause of unstoppable “flaming”

There is no end to the voices and reputations about how evil not only the president but also the “empress” is. There are many shortcomings from a management perspective, such as the distortions inherent to a company owned by the founding family (the Inaba family), and the fact that the company has relied solely on advertising while neglecting public relations.

However, is it okay to just criticize the company?

This is because the news concerned a new employee who was scheduled to join the company. I think many other young people feel that this is not just a problem for the company, but that it is no one else’s problem. I guess that’s why it’s been so hot.

The clue lies in a news story about “retirement agency” reported by NHK at the same time.