Sukiya to abandon 24-hour stores following rat and cockroach scandal
Sukiya has announced the reopening of the vast majority its stores in Japan following a temporary closure – however things will not be the same as before as the chain has indicated they will no longer operate any 24-hour stores.
A temporary closure was implemented across the restaurant chain in late March/early April as a precautionary hygiene measure in response to recent incidents involving the discovery of pests in customer meals.
The temporary closure started at 9:00 AM Japan Standard Time (JST) on Monday, March 31st and affected nearly all Sukiya locations, with the exception of some outlets situated within commercial complexes.
The company stated that the four-day closure was necessary to conduct thorough deep cleaning and implement enhanced pest control measures across its extensive network of restaurants.
The decision to undertake this large-scale temporary closure was prompted by two recent, publicly acknowledged, incidents that raised concerns about Sukiya’s hygiene standards.
The first incident occurred in January 2025 at a Sukiya store located in Tottori Prefecture, where a foreign object, later identified as a rat, was discovered in a bowl of miso soup before it was consumed by the customer.
Following this event, the specific Tottori restaurant was temporarily closed for investigation and remediation, with Sukiya outlining measures taken to seal structural vulnerabilities and implement stricter waste management protocols.
More recently, on March 28th, an incident at a Sukiya restaurant in Tokyo involved a customer finding a pest, widely reported as being part or all of a cockroach, in their meal.
This second incident triggered more widespread concern and ultimately led to the company’s decision to temporarily close the majority of its stores for comprehensive deep cleaning and pest control.
As of 9:00 AM JST, Friday, April 4th, Sukiya restaurants across Japan began to welcome customers back.
At a Sukiya outlet in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, customers were observed dining inside the restaurant shortly after the reopening time, indicating a return to regular service.
In response to these events and the subsequent operational changes, Sukiya has also announced a further adjustment to its operating hours.
Effective from Saturday, April 5th almost all Sukiya restaurants nationwide will suspend their 24-hour operations.
The company stated that stores will be closed for an hour between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM every day and this time will be dedicated to intensive cleaning work.
This suspension of 24-hour service represents a significant change for Sukiya, which has traditionally been known for its 24-hour availability at many locations.
Sukiya has faced considerable public scrutiny in the wake of these hygiene-related incidents.
Prior to these issues the company had previously been under fire after a viral video of a customer drinking from a communal water jug was dubbed an act of “dining terrorism” by the Japanese public.
The company has previously issued public apologies for the “great inconvenience and concern caused” to its customers and the wider public after the contaminated food incidents were disclosed.
Sukiya is not the only Japanese restaurant to be engulfed in a hygiene scandal recently, as popular conveyor belt sushi chain Kura Sushi have been criticized following the sharing of images that show a male contraceptive left by a customer in one of their restaurants.
Images: © Sukiya Co. Ltd, Sun TV News
Sources: Sun TV News, Sukiya