Japan's restaurant chain Sukiya calls for food safety checks after rat found in miso soup

The incident took place at a Sukiya location in Tottori Prefecture on Jan. 21, where it is believed that the rat entered one of several bowls being prepared for customers.

At around 8:00 a.m. that morning, a customer at the Tottori Minamiyoshikata outlet noticed a "foreign object" mixed into a bowl of miso soup. The company later confirmed that the object was, in fact, a rat, according to Tokyo Reporter.

すき家の味噌汁にネズミ入ってた動画これガチ？ pic.twitter.com/TxqkhIPv38

— さささ (@yhp_m) January 21, 2025

The restaurant was immediately closed for inspection and only reopened after a thorough examination by the local public health center. Sukiya explained that the contamination occurred due to a staff member's failure to properly inspect the bowls, leading to the oversight.

In response, Sukiya has instructed all its outlets to rigorously check dishes before serving and has issued a public apology. NHK reported that the company also promised to strengthen its management systems to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Sukiya operates over 2,000 stores in Japan and has outlets across Asia, including in Vietnam.