'Sushi terror' pranks outrage Japan as police make arrests

Japanese constabulary person arrested 3 radical implicit "sushi terrorism": viral, unhygienic pranks that are threatening the world-famous diagnostic of sushi conveyor loop restaurants.

Last month, a video of a antheral licking a soy condiment vessel connected a sushi bid went viral, sparking outrage.

In the video, helium tin beryllium seen rubbing saliva connected passing dishes astatine a Kura Sushi edifice branch.

Since then, dozens of specified videos person proliferated sparking nationalist concern.

Several sushi bid restaurants- known arsenic Kaiten-sushi successful Japan - person made nationalist appeals for offenders to halt their nutrient sabotage.

But immoderate eateries person adjacent made the prime to halt operating their main attraction altogether - with sushi conveyor belts coming to a halt crossed the country.

In eastbound Japan, the Choushimaru concatenation said it would halt utilizing its conveyor belts altogether aft a lawsuit placed a cigaret butt successful a jar of pickled ginger.

Staff volition present bring dishes to customers straight - and lone manus retired condiments and sauces erstwhile they've taken their seats.

Japan is renowned for its exacting cleanliness standards and culinary etiquette.

So the "sushi terrorism" pranks person not lone shocked millions astir the state but besides led to falls successful stock prices of companies similar the Sushiro chain.

A spokesperson for the Kura Sushi - the edifice concatenation targeted by those arrested connected Wednesday - said the viral video inclination was "extremely dangerous" and posing a menace to the instauration of the conveyor-belt edifice model.

"Conveyor loop sushi is thing we are arrogant of arsenic portion of Japanese culture. We privation to marque definite our customers tin devour sushi delivered connected the loop safely and comfortably," helium said.

People person filmed themselves licking presented chopsticks oregon touching sushi arsenic it glides past them connected the belt.

One video which emerged past period showed a lawsuit putting wasabi connected idiosyncratic else's nutrient bid arsenic it passed him connected the belt.

Several sushi chains person already threatened ineligible enactment - but Wednesday's detentions are believed to beryllium the archetypal arrests of offenders.

Police successful the cardinal Japanese metropolis of Nagoya allege Ryoga Yoshino, 21, licked a communal soy condiment vessel astatine a Kura Sushi conveyor-belt sushi edifice connected 3 February.

Two minors aged 19 and 15 were besides involved. Police said their actions constituted obstruction of concern nether Japan's Penal Code.

All of the suspects admitted to the wrongdoing, constabulary said. One besides reportedly apologised for his actions.

Restaurant-owning companies had already been struggling - with planetary proviso chains nether strain to a weaker yen, the warfare successful Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic.

Many had to rise prices connected their cheapest offerings past year.

Now they look different conflict with the question of unhygienic pranks.

It's led to restaurants astir the state scrambling to reassure customers of their hygiene standards.

The Sushiro concatenation changed its work rules past month, requiring diners to cod their ain utensils and condiments from unit to chopped down connected imaginable sabotage attempts.

Kura Sushi has present besides developed an alert system, wherever immoderate of its conveyor belts volition present beryllium equipped with sensors and cameras.

If a idiosyncratic is caught returning a sheet that has been tampered with, an alert volition beryllium sent to the chain's offices successful Saitama prefecture, adjacent Tokyo and Osaka. The affected edifice would besides beryllium informed, Kura Sushi said.

The institution said the caller sensors would besides beryllium capable to place the circumstantial sheet and spot fig affected.