Sukiya, Japan’s largest beef bowl restaurant chain, apologized on Saturday for serving miso soup to a customer with a rat in it. The small rodent was discovered in the soup on the morning of January 21 at the Tottori Minamiyoshikata outlet.
A picture of the dish was subsequently posted on Google Reviews. Some people doubted the image, believing it had been manipulated. However, on March 22, Sukiya confirmed that it was a rat in the soup.
Following an internal investigation, it was revealed that the rodent was likely mixed in when one of the staff members was preparing the ingredients. That person failed to check the bowl and overlooked the contamination.
すき家のねずいみ入り味噌汁だけど
大鍋の味噌汁から
ねずみを最後までお玉ですくえなかったらみんな気づかないうちに
ねずみ出汁の味噌汁を飲むことになったんだな https://t.co/iuyc11l22w pic.twitter.com/8ISLlQE0Xe— みたらし (@5Re2kb3yiS7GegK) March 22, 2025
Temporary Closure After Rat Discovered in Sukiya’s Miso Soup
“The store in question was temporarily closed immediately after the [discovery], and hygiene inspections were conducted,” read a statement by Sukiya. “Measures were taken to address cracks in the building that could lead to contamination, and employees were given rigorous training in hygiene management, including visual inspection of products before serving. The health center in charge was also consulted on the day of the outbreak.”
The company added that measures have been taken to prevent insects and vermin from entering from outside.
“As we refrained from making an announcement on our website or elsewhere when the issue first occurred, many customers ended up feeling anxious and concerned due to fragmentary and indirect information provided after the fact,” continued the statement. “We would like to once again apologize to our customers and all concerned parties for the inconvenience and concern caused.”
The Tottori Minamiyoshikata Sukiya was closed for two days. It resumed operations after the local public health center examined the store.
About Sukiya
First opened in Yokohama in 1982, Sukiya specializes in gyudon (beef bowls), but also serves various other dishes, including curry. It operates more than 2,000 shops in Japan, and has branch stores in Brazil, Mexico and across Asia.
