Rats move in as garbage piles up

Tokyo’s famously tidy image is under strain as rat sightings surge in busy entertainment and shopping districts, according to pest-control firms and anxious residents. Exterminators say overflowing garbage, dense restaurant clusters and ageing buildings have created near-perfect conditions for rodents, which are now being spotted in broad daylight along alleyways and even near major train stations. Social media videos of rats swarming around rubbish bags or darting through convenience-store aisles have fuelled public disgust and pressure on local officials to respond. For shop owners, the problem is more than cosmetic: customers may stay away, landlords fret about damage to wiring and stock, and health inspectors are stepping up surprise visits.

Shared responsibility, uneven response

City authorities insist they are stepping up educational campaigns and inspections, urging businesses to seal food waste, fix gaps in walls and floors, and coordinate baiting efforts so that entire blocks, rather than individual buildings, are treated at once. But some experts warn that fragmented responsibility—between ward offices, private waste contractors and building owners—makes sustained control difficult. Rising temperatures and milder winters may also be helping rats breed year-round, another reminder of how climate shifts intersect with urban hygiene. For residents, the story is a cautionary tale about what happens when tight labour markets and cost pressures push restaurants to cut corners on cleaning, or when late-night entertainment districts rely on convenience-store bins as de facto public trash cans. How Tokyo manages this “unseen infrastructure” problem over the coming year will test not only pest-control budgets but also the city’s reputation for meticulous order.