Sukiya closes 2,000 stores as rats and cockroaches found in food

Sukiya has announced the closure of nearly 2,000 restaurants in Japan.

The chain will be closing most of its restaurants temporarily for deep cleaning and pest control measures after customers have found insects and rodents in their meals.

This is the latest controversy facing the chain, following widespread criticism earlier this year after a video of a customer performing un-hygienic acts that were labeled “dining terrorism” went viral.

A viral video of poor customer behavior previously caused issues for Sukiya

Sukiya is a major fast food chain in Japan, known mostly for serving gyūdon (beef and rice bowls) and operates nearly 2,000 locations across the country.

They is part of the Zensho Holdings group, which controls a large number of fast food chains in Japan such as Lotteria and Hama-Sushi, as well as the SNOWFOX Sushi and YO! Sushi chains in the US and UK.

The decision to close their restaurants is due to two recent incidents involving the discovery of pests in customer meals, which have prompted significant public concern and scrutiny.

The most recent incident, which triggered the widespread closure, occurred on Friday, March 28^th at their Akishima Ekiminami branch in Tokyo.

A customer reportedly discovered an insect, widely identified in the Japanese press as being part or all of a cockroach, in their meal.

Sukiya is famous for bowls of rice topped with grilled beef

In response to this finding, the restaurant’s management apologized to the affected customer and provided a refund for their purchase.

This incident followed an earlier, more serious event that Sukiya publicly acknowledged the previous weekend.

Rumors concerning this prior incident had been circulating on various social media platforms for several weeks.

The company confirmed that in January 2025, a rat was discovered in a bowl of miso soup served at one of its restaurants located in the city of Tottori.

Sukiya clarified that the rodent was found “before it was eaten” by the customer.

Following this January incident, the specific restaurant in Tottori was temporarily closed to facilitate investigations and remediation efforts.

Miso soup is often served as a side dish or as part of a combo meal at Japanese restaurants

Sukiya advised that they have investigated the incident and believe that the rat got into a pre-prepared bowl of soup while it was being stored in a refrigerator.

They reviewed CCTV footage of the miso soup being made in the kitchen and could not see any signs of the rat being present prior to the soup being refrigerated.

Sukiya stated that measures were implemented at that location to address structural vulnerabilities, such as cracks in the building, which were identified as potential points of entry for pests and contaminants.

Additionally, the company announced that all of its restaurant locations would undergo regular inspections to identify and seal any structural gaps, and new protocols will be introduced requiring the refrigeration of all rubbish to mitigate potential pest infestations.

Despite these initial measures, the subsequent discovery of an insect in a customer’s meal in Tokyo prompted Sukiya to take more extensive action.

The company has now announced that the majority of its approximately 2,000 restaurants will cease operations between Monday, March 31st and Friday, April 4th 2025.

During this period each restaurant will undergo thorough deep cleaning and enhanced pest control procedures.

Stores across Japan, including this Yokohama branch, will be closed

In a public statement, Sukiya issued an apology for the “great inconvenience and concern caused” to its customers and the wider public as a result of these incidents.

The disclosure of the rat incident in the previous week had an immediate impact on the financial markets.

Following the confirmation of the event, Zensho Holdings’ share price experienced a notable downturn on the Tokyo Stock Exchange before partially recovering later in the week.

With the announcement of the more recent insect discovery and the subsequent large-scale temporary closure, the company’s stock is expected to face renewed scrutiny from investors when trading resumes on Monday.

The financial implications of the widespread closure, including lost revenue and the cost of the enhanced cleaning and pest control measures, remain to be seen.

The level of the company’s response shows they are aware of the potential significant reputational damage that can be caused by these types of food safety incidents.

Sources: Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Sukiya