The debate about the occupation of the Japanese archipelago before 30,000 years ago was apparently resolved with the discovery and investigation of a series of sites in north eastern Japan such as Babadan A and latterly Kamitakamori, which seemed to provide securely dated contexts for hominid activity dating to before 500,000 years ago. These discoveries were thrown into doubt when one of the major protagonists in the debate was discovered planting artefacts. The subsequent scandal, which has rocked Japanese archaeology to its core, was widely reported in the media and a full-scale investigation is still underway. This paper summarises information from some of the sites claimed to be Lower and Middle Palaeolithic, and sets them in a broader East Asian context.