Japan: family of restaurateurs arrested over food poisoning violations

According to the New York Post, three members of a family operating a formerly Michelin-starred restaurant have been arrested in Japan after a series of food poisoning incidents. Hirokazu Kitano, his wife Noriko, and their son Hirotoshi Kitano were taken into custody on June 16 on suspicion of violating the Food Sanitation Act. The family runs a traditional Japanese restaurant in Osaka Prefecture. The venue received a one-star rating in the Michelin Guide for the Kansai region during the 2010s. However, it was ordered to suspend operations last February after several customers reported symptoms such as stomach pain and diarrhea. Some of them tested positive for norovirus, a contagious illness that affects the gastrointestinal system.
Despite the suspension, the restaurant continued to sell food, prompting officials to arrest the Kitano family for breaching food safety regulations.