Photo/Illutration Vegemeal, based in Saitama Prefecture, produces bagged fresh-cut vegetables that are sold in Tokyo. (Captured from the company website)

Police have arrested the president of a vegetable processing company in Saitama Prefecture on suspicion of violating immigration laws by employing foreigners without the proper residence status for factory work. 

Makoto Ishii, 48, president of Vegemeal, was taken into custody along with a 47-year-old personnel manager. The Fukaya-based company itself has also been referred to prosecutors.

Authorities allege that the two conspired to employ three Indian men at the firm’s fresh-cut vegetable factory between July last year and October this year.

Their residence status was intended for professional and skilled occupations, and did not allow manual labor in factories.

The three Indian nationals were also arrested on suspicion of obtaining their visas through false applications in collusion with another individual.

Ishii has denied the charges, saying that he left all personnel matters to his staff. The personnel manager admitted to the allegations, reportedly saying that the company relied on foreign labor willing to work for the minimum wage.

The factory, which processes vegetables for supermarkets in Tokyo, operates around the clock. Investigators said the Indian workers were assigned to night and early morning shifts, when labor shortages were most acute.

Of the approximately 460 employees at the plant, 70 percent are foreign nationals.

Founded in 2013, Vegemeal operates two production facilities and reported sales of 7.3 billion yen ($47.2 million) in the fiscal year ending in August 2024, according to a research firm.

The popularity of bagged salad has surged in Japan, driven by the rise of dual-income households. Industry data shows the market reached 194.9 billion yen in 2024, about double its size a decade ago.

Because leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce deteriorate quickly once sliced, processing must be done close to major consumer markets such as Tokyo.

Factories often run shifts 24 hours a day to meet demand, and industry officials say they frequently receive complaints about labor shortages.

Packaged salad mixes generally last only three days after processing, making overseas production impractical due to shipping times, even if the costs are lower.

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