Japan Logs About 3,000 Complaints Over Counterfeit Water Purifier Filters

Counterfeit water purifier filter cartridges are flooding the Japanese market. Installed at household taps, some have a strong chlorine odour or slimy surfaces, and product damage and soiling are frequent, with disputes emerging in which consumers say they cannot obtain refunds. The fake cartridges are difficult to distinguish from genuine products, and many consumers have bought them unknowingly. Manufacturers and the National Consumer Affairs Center have received a large number of complaints and inquiries. Most of these counterfeit cartridges flow into Japan from China and Vietnam, and manufacturers have yet to find effective countermeasures.

The Consumer Affairs Agency has been warning consumers for several years through case introductions and other means, but the disputes continue. Inquiries received by the National Consumer Affairs Center include: in July 2026, a woman bought a filter she believed to be genuine for 20,000 yen on a secondhand trading platform; upon receipt she found it abnormal, confirmed via the manufacturer's website that it was counterfeit, and when she contacted the seller to request a return, nobody answered the phone. In April 2026, a man in his 70s bought a filter listed as "genuine" on an online shopping site; the product delivered bore no authenticity mark, and after confirming it was fake, he found the return address was in China, with return postage to be paid on delivery. The consumer said he did not know how to proceed. In March 2026, a woman in her 50s bought a filter by model number on an online shopping site; the unit cracked and was damaged when it was used after replacement.

Staff at the National Consumer Affairs Center said many consumers only discover problems after purchase, and cases in which refunds are difficult to obtain are prominent. Counterfeit filter packaging carries the contact details of legitimate manufacturers, so when problems arise, consumers often complain directly to the manufacturers, which have received about 3,000 such complaints.