The head of the Japan Cosmetic Association has been convicted of bribing two research professors linked to a collaborative project with the University of Tokyo focused on cannabidiol applications for skin conditions.
Koichi Hikichi, the 52-year-old representative director of the association, spent ¥3.8m - around $25,000 - on high-end restaurants, hostess bars, and establishments offering sexual services to entertain two former University of Tokyo professors, Shinichi Sato and Ayumi Yoshizaki.
In exchange, the academics allegedly facilitated the research chair's setup, allowed use of the university's prestige and logo in promotional materials, and supported the association's product development efforts.
The partnership aimed to leverage the institution's reputation in the emerging cannabidiol market, where the association had previously engaged in independent product testing and certification programmes.
According to Gabrielle Ryan, a contributing writer at AcademicJobs, the project initially targeted dermatological diseases but expanded to include cannabinoid-based cosmetic product development.
Court records indicate that the Japan Cosmetic Association provided frequent hospitality in return for preferential handling of research scope and budget amendments.
Hikichi received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years, from Tokyo District Court on 26 May.
Sato, 62, former professor of the university’s Graduate School of Medicine, has been indicted for receiving bribes and dismissed for disciplinary reasons.
Yoshizaki, 47, former specially appointed associate professor at the graduate school, was also convicted of bribery.
Yoshizaki was sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for two years, reported The Japan Times.
