Japanese company not properly licensed

KOFU, Japan, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Fujiaqua Co., a mineral water producer in Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, has been operating for eight years without a proper license, a report says.

The Yomiuri Shumbun reported that Fujiaqua had built a facility back in February 1998 to draw water from a national park, but apparently had begun its construction and subsequent years of operation without the required license under Japan's Natural Parks Law.

Yamanashi government officials said while the company was an affiliate of Nestle Japan Ltd., it failed to get the required government approval to build the necessary intake facility.

As part of their affiliation, all of the water gathered by Fujiaqua during the eight years it was distributed by Nestle before sales ended in April.