Social:Sushi terrorism

From HandWiki
Short description: Japanese restaurant prank
Conveyor belt sushi

Sushi terrorism and related terms refer to pranks and antisocial behavior in restaurants in Japan, especially conveyor belt sushi restaurants. The unhygienic pranks include licking soy sauce bottles and adding an extreme portion of wasabi to sushi.[1][2] A series of events began in early 2023 and some acts were widely shared on social media.[2]

These incidents caused a scandal in Japan, a country renowned for its strict hygiene and cleanliness standards, and emphasis on social cohesion.[3] Following the incidents, the popularity of conveyor belt sushi restaurants declined, and chains like Kura Sushi were inundated with customer complaints, prompting urgent and thorough cleaning measures.[4] One of the individuals involved was a high school student, leading to numerous complaints directed at his school.[5][6]

Etymology

In Japanese language, the phenomenon is not limited to conveyor belt sushi restaurants, and is more generally referred to as dining-out terrorism (外食テロ), customer terrorism (客テロ) or restaurant terrorism (飲食店テロ).[7] When specifically referring to conveyor belt sushi restaurants, the term is kaiten sushi tero (回転寿司テロ). Since many of the culprits are of Generation Z, they have been jokingly referred to as Z combatant (Z戦士) as if guerrillas engaging in asymmetric warfare.

Incidents

The conveyor belt sushi brand Sushiro was affected by sushi terrorism

On January 5, 2023, three individuals aged between 15 and 21 filmed themselves at a Sushiro conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Gifu.[8] In the video, they licked a piece of sushi on the conveyor belt before consuming it and drank directly from a communal soy sauce bottle. Initially shared on Instagram,[9] the video garnered over 40 million views on Twitter.[3] Subsequently, similar videos from other restaurants surfaced on platforms like Twitter and TikTok, some of which appeared to have been recorded weeks or even years earlier.[3] In other instances, perpetrators placed wasabi on sushi intended for other customers.[10]

A complaint was filed against the three individuals involved in the initial incident, leading to their arrest on March 8.[11] Two of them were apprehended in Aichi Prefecture and faced potential prison sentences of up to three years.[3] Other chains, such as Hama-sushi and Kura Sushi, also announced legal actions, with some planning to install cameras to monitor customers.[12] Akindo Sushiro sought approximately 67 million yen in damages from one of the individuals.[13]

In February 2025 a 40-year-old unemployed woman in Fukuoka was arrested and charged with "criminal damage" for squishing a sesame bun in a Lawson convenience store after having committed several similar acts previously.[14][15][16][17]

Impact

In the days following the viral video's release, shares of Food & Life Companies Co., Ltd., the parent company of Sushiro, dropped by nearly 5%.[12][13] The company responded by replacing all soy sauce bottles in the affected restaurant, cleaning all cups, and enhancing hygiene protocols.[18] Some restaurants considered replacing physical conveyor belts with virtual ones or removing communal seasoning bottles to prevent future incidents.[19] Businessman Takafumi Horie suggested increasing restaurant entry prices as a deterrent.[20]

Agriculture Minister Tetsuro Nomura commented on the incidents, stating, "It is very unfortunate that such an act took place, as it had a significant impact on food industry operators, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will pay special attention to the situation in the future."[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kuhn, Anthony (2023-02-02). "Japan's conveyor belt sushi industry takes a licking from an errant customer" (in en). NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/1153730101/japans-conveyor-belt-sushi-industry-takes-a-licking-from-an-errant-customer. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 McCurry, Justin (2023-02-03). "Wave of 'sushi terrorism' grips Japan's restaurant world". https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/03/wave-of-sushi-terrorism-grips-japans-restaurant-world. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 ""Terroristes du sushi" : trois jeunes interpellés après des vidéos qui avaient fait scandale" (in fr). 2023-03-10. https://fr.euronews.com/2023/03/09/terroristes-du-sushi-trois-jeunes-interpelles-apres-des-videos-qui-avaient-fait-scandale. 
  4. ↑ Burgel, Thomas (2023-03-07). "Le Japon finit par céder face au «terrorisme du sushi»" (in fr). https://korii.slate.fr/biz/japon-cede-face-terrorisme-sushi-kaitenzushi-tapis-roulant-videos-reseaux-sociaux-lecher-plats-sauce-hygiene. 
  5. ↑ "【独占続報】スシロー湯呑みペロペロ少年が高校を自主退学 近所では「畑仕事の手伝いもしてくれる素直な子」" (in ja). 2023-02-08. https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20230208_1839065.html?DETAIL. 
  6. ↑ "スシローでも迷惑行為、しょうゆボトルなめる動画…警察に被害届を出し謝罪受け入れ拒否" (in ja). 2023-02-01. https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/economy/20230201-OYT1T50097/. 
  7. ↑ 窪田順生 (2023-02-07). "「外食テロで店がガラガラ」問題 スシローが訴えても"解決"できないワケ". https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2302/07/news068.html. 
  8. ↑ "回転寿司テロで「とばっちり被害」を受けた「意外すぎる企業」の正体（週刊現代） @moneygendai" (in ja). 2023-02-10. https://gendai.media/articles/-/105803. 
  9. ↑ "「事務員が耐えられない状況に」"他人握りわさび乗せ"で実名拡散された学校が明かした被害" (in ja). 2023-03-30. https://jisin.jp/domestic/2190922/. 
  10. ↑ "他の客の寿司にワサビをのせる動画に批判殺到…相次ぐ迷惑行為にはま寿司が怒り「到底容認できない」" (in ja). 2023-01-23. https://jisin.jp/domestic/2171350/. 
  11. ↑ "'Sushi terror' pranks outrage Japan as police make arrests" (in en-GB). 2023-03-09. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64898111. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wadel, Joanna (2023-02-03). "Qu'est-ce que le "terrorisme du sushi" qui fait fureur chez les ados japonais ?" (in fr). https://www.rtl.fr/actu/international/qu-est-ce-que-le-terrorisme-du-sushi-qui-fait-fureur-chez-les-ados-japonais-7900232360. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Parisien, Le (2023-06-11). "« Terrorisme du sushi » : un Japonais poursuivi pour avoir léché une bouteille de sauce soja" (in fr). https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/terrorisme-du-sushi-un-japonais-poursuivi-pour-avoir-leche-une-bouteille-de-sauce-soja-11-06-2023-MFNHFFKGL5BOBHBWK6P2GJUVRU.php. 
  14. ↑ Japanese woman arrested for squashing bun in shop Koh Ewe and Chie Kobayashi, BBC News
  15. ↑ Lim, Kolette (February 14, 2025). "Woman arrested for squashing bun at Japan convenience store without buying it". Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/woman-arrested-for-squashing-bun-in-japan-convenience-store-without-buying-it. 
  16. ↑ HERNON, MATTHEW (February 17, 2025). "Woman Arrested for Squashing a Bun at Lawson Convenience Store". Tokyo Weekender. https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/news-and-opinion/woman-arrested-for-squashing-a-bun-at-lawson-convenience-store/. 
  17. ↑ "Woman arrested in Japan for squashing bun at convenience store". Roya News. 14 February 2025. https://en.royanews.tv/news/56796. 
  18. ↑ "Au Japon, le "terrorisme du sushi" dégoûte les internautes et inquiète les restaurants" (in fr-FR). 2023-02-03. https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/japon/au-japon-le-terrorisme-du-sushi-degoute-les-internautes-et-inquiete-les-restaurants_5638010.html. 
  19. ↑ QMI, Agence (2023-10-05). "Tapis roulants virtuels pour sushis: des restaurants japonais s'adaptent après du «terrorisme» alimentaire" (in fr). https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2023/10/05/tapis-roulants-virtuels-pour-sushis-des-restaurants-japonais-sadaptent-apres-du-terrorisme-alimentaire. 
  20. ↑ "ホリエモン、スシローぺろぺろ事件…相次ぐ"飲食店テロ"の解決策提示「変なヤツらを排除するには」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能" (in ja). https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2023/02/10/kiji/20230210s00041000420000c.html. 
  21. ↑ "迷惑動画問題で野村農相「非常に残念。我々の年代では…」会見で言及" (in ja). https://mainichi.jp/articles/20230207/k00/00m/010/213000c. 
  22. ↑ "回転すし店などの迷惑行為で野村農相 「消費者に大変な不安与える 厳正対処を」" (in ja). https://www.jacom.or.jp/nousei/news/2023/02/230207-64545.php. 


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