"Is That Really a Rat?"... 'Rat War' in Tokyo's Busy District [Nichiyobi Nichi Culture]

Tokyo Metropolis Estimates 250,000 Rats
Local Governments Launch Control Measures

"Could that really be a rat?"

In bustling areas of central Tokyo, such as Shibuya, it is sometimes possible to spot rats scurrying between restaurants. This is true not only in Shibuya and Shinjuku, which have many bars and eateries, but also in Ginza, known for its luxury shops and upscale dining, where reports of rat sightings frequently surface. We considered including actual photos of rats, but to avoid startling our readers, we have replaced them with cute(?) illustrations.

In fact, Japan has been struggling with a noticeable increase in urban rats since the COVID-19 pandemic. Japanese media outlets like the Asahi Shimbun have reported on "rat complaints" and the countermeasures taken by local governments. This situation can be likened to South Korea's "bedbug war," but in Japan, it is a "rat war."

Japan began implementing rat control measures about five years ago. Particularly, many rats inhabited the Tsukiji Market, which sells seafood and other products. In October 2018, following plans to relocate Tsukiji Market, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced it would capture 8,000 rats living in the market. The Sankei Shimbun estimates that at least 250,000 rats inhabit Tokyo.

What has caused this surge in rats? One reason for the abundance of rats in busy districts is the problem of restaurants disposing of food waste in uncovered trash bins.

In residential areas, the increase in elderly households has led to inadequate house cleaning and food waste disposal.

Additionally, redevelopment projects centered around Tokyo’s busy districts have forced rats living in old buildings to move into residential neighborhoods.

A rat control brochure published by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. It is titled "Rat Control Guide for Tokyo Residents." (Photo by Tokyo Metropolitan Government)

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government even published a rat control brochure, which cites other reasons such as ▲the rise in public health awareness gradually reducing the perceived need for rat control, and ▲busy districts in Tokyo operating bars and restaurants almost 24 hours a day, thereby increasing the availability of food and expanding the rats’ range of activity.

There is also analysis suggesting that after the COVID-19 pandemic ended and restaurants and bars reopened, the abundance of food led to a sharp increase in rat populations. Tokyo had previously undertaken efforts to reduce the crow population, but despite crows being natural predators that eat baby rats, their removal may have inadvertently allowed rat populations to grow further.

In any case, seeing rats in Tokyo has become more common than in South Korea. Rats that frequent Shibuya bars are sometimes nicknamed "Shibuya Miki" or "Mikichan," after the Tokyo Disneyland character "Mickey Mouse." Subway stations where rats appear are sometimes called "Nezumi Land," using the Japanese word for rat, "nezumi (ネズミ)."

The problem is that rats can chew on electrical wires, causing fires, and they can also carry diseases.

In response, Shinjuku Ward has spent 12 million yen (approximately 109 million KRW) since last month on pest control, and the entire Tokyo Metropolitan area is actively working to catch rats.

Similar to South Korea’s bedbug war, this is a case where an unexpected pest has emerged following increased public health awareness. Both South Korea’s bedbugs and Japan’s rats have developed resistance to existing pesticides, making eradication difficult.