Dead Cockroach Found in Ramen Served at Tenkaippin Franchise in Kyoto; Company Shuts Restaurant, Sister Location Owned by Same Franchisee

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:52 JST, September 9, 2025

Tenichi Shokuhin Shoji, which operates the national ramen restaurant chain Tenkaippin, announced on Monday that a dead cockroach was discovered in a ramen served to a customer at a Kyoto franchise in August.

The company has shut down the Shinkyogoku-Sanjo restaurant and another operated by the same franchisee, both of which are located in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto. They have issued detailed sanitation instructions to all of their locations and are making efforts to prevent another such incident from occurring.

According to the company, a female customer informed the Shinkyogoku-Sanjo restaurant on Aug. 24 that she had found a dead cockroach, about 1 centimeter long, in a dish of ramen she ordered. The company has apologized to the woman and offered her a refund, which she reportedly declined.

The company is investigating the cause, with guidance from public health officials, and they say the insect likely entered the food as it was being prepared in the shop.

The company has said, “We sincerely apologize for the great amount of worry and trouble this has caused.”