Tottori officials say they have found that a Hong Kong-based company is using a symbol closely resembling the Japanese prefecture's emblem. They plan to ask the firm to stop the unauthorized use of the emblem.
The emblem depicts a stylized bird formed from the symbol pronounced like "toe" in the hiragana alphabet. The prefecture has used it since 1968.
The officials say the firm is selling products online using a similar mark, accompanied by the characters that mean "Tottori food." The products include Wagyu beef, grilled eel and processed fish. The officials say some items appear not to have any link to Tottori.
The prefecture does not allow the emblem to be used for commercial purposes.
The officials plan to work with experts to look into the matter as a case of unauthorized use.