Photo/Illutration Mitoshi Matsumoto speaks with reporters outside his Higashi-Osaka Seven-Eleven Japan convenience store. (Hiroki Hashimoto)

The operator of the Seven-Eleven chain of convenience stores was holding its ground and said it was ending a franchise owner's contract, citing customer complaints and the man's high-profile campaign for shorter working hours.

The decision by Seven-Eleven Japan Co. raised the prospect of company executives next meeting with the maverick franchise owner in a courtroom following a very public debate about mandatory 24/7 operating hours and complaints by some store owners about being unable to find staff to man outlets after midnight through the early morning hours.

Mitoshi Matsumoto, 58, triggered headlines in February after he decided to defy Seven-Eleven Japan's business model for its convenience store network and close the doors of his outlet in Higashi-Osaka for a few hours late at night because he could not find workers for the graveyard shift.

On Dec. 29, management officials of Seven-Eleven Japan, Matsumoto and their respective lawyers met to discuss the company's earlier notification to Matsumoto that it was dissolving his franchise contract.

According to Matsumoto, Seven-Eleven Japan officials made clear they were standing by their decision.

For his part, Matsumoto said he was considering suing Seven-Eleven Japan early next year. He said he hoped to somehow continue operating his outlet in the meantime.

Seven-Eleven Japan said earlier in December it was dissolving the contract, citing problems it found with how Matsumoto dealt with his customers and his frequent postings to social networking websites criticizing the company and its executives.

The company considered those posts as defamation of character.

Offering an olive branch, Matsumoto vowed to strive to improve customer relations and said he would stop criticizing the company's policy.

But Seven-Eleven Japan officials insisted there was no other way forward than to render his contract invalid as of midnight Dec. 30.

Moreover, the company demanded that Matsumoto return the land and store it had leased to him by Dec. 31, and threatened legal action if he did not comply.

Matsumoto is planning to seek legal redress on grounds the unilateral dissolving of the contract had no justification.

After his meeting with Seven-Eleven Japan officials, Matsumoto met with reporters and said, "I will continue with business operations in my own way by clinging onto the store until a legal resolution is reached."

Matsumoto will not receive any product deliveries from the company from Dec. 31. However, he vowed to continue to sell what was left in his inventory as well as seek other avenues to obtain products.

He also is obliged not to use the cash registers linked with the computer system of Seven-Eleven Japan. Still, Matsumoto said he was determined to fight on.

While the outlet would be closed on Dec. 31 and New Year's Day, Matsumoto said he planned to begin operations from the morning of Jan. 2.

Seven-Eleven Japan officials said they had no comment since they are still conferring with lawyers.