FamilyMart shuts Shibuya store after video shows rat infestation

TOKYO (TR) – Convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. on Monday shut one of its stores in Shibuya Ward following the emergence of a video showing a rat infestation, the company said.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the company apologized after the video, which was posted on YouTube and Twitter on Monday, showed a number of rats inside its Jinnan 1-chome outlet.

“We apologize deeply for making [customers] feel uncomfortable and uneasy,” the statement said.

In the clip, two rats are shown atop a drinks refrigerator. One then falls to the ground next to an ATM machine and scurries off.

A third rat is later shown climbing the side of a cabinet of onigiri (rice balls) as a fourth is perched on the top, overlooking the store.

Another video, which may or may not have been shot inside the same outlet, shows several rats crawling behind bakery products. It was posted on social media on August 2.

According to the statement, in addition to removing and disposing of the food products in accordance with the local health authority, the company will investigate the cause of the infestation.

The company added that it will begin a disinfection process. “We will consider the possibility of resuming operations in consideration of the surrounding environment of the store,” the statement read.