Key Facts
• Mushroom factory built 35 years ago in Tonegawa Town, now abandoned.
• Factory debris disposal in April 2024 lacked required industrial waste manifest.
• Police sent Tonegawa Town and former manager to prosecutors on September 4, 2025.
• Factory originally cost approximately $9.6 million (¥1.44 billion) with government subsidies.
• Operations ceased in 1993, ownership transferred to the town in 1996.
• Town planned debris removal for kikurage cultivation but abandoned due to contractor withdrawal.
• Demolition of the factory scheduled for completion by 2026.
• Town’s agricultural policy department awaits further investigation updates.
Summary
Authorities in Ibaraki Prefecture have sent Tonegawa Town and a former manager to prosecutors over alleged violations of the Waste Management Law. The case involves the failure to issue an industrial waste manifest during the disposal of debris from an abandoned mushroom factory in April 2024. The factory, built 35 years ago with government subsidies totaling approximately $9.6 million, ceased operations in 1993 and has remained unused since 1996. Efforts to repurpose the site for kikurage cultivation were abandoned last year, and demolition is planned by 2026. The town’s agricultural policy department has stated it will monitor the investigation’s progress.
