The Japan Sommelier Association has found that pins it issues to those who pass the sommelier and other wine expert qualifications have been sold on auction sites despite a ban, and some of them are fake, association officials said Monday.The association has alerted restaurants that fake lapel pins might be misused by unqualified individuals to land jobs, saying it has taken legal action in malicious cases.(An authentic lapel pin (R) issued by the Japan Sommelier Association versus a fake one sold on an online auction site)Among such cases is that of a man who sold 38 fake pins for a total …READ FULL ARTICLE
