What is sushi terrorism? Viral video pranks explained as Japan police make arrests

Warning: some readers may find details of this story disgusting. Police in Japan have arrested three people after a string of ‘sushi terrorism’ pranks rocked the country.

Japan’s world-famous sushi conveyer belt restaurants have been hit with a wave of unhygienic behaviour - with perpetrators posting videos of themselves tampering with food on social media.

The trend began when one customer, sparking outrage, shared footage of himself licking a communal bottle of soy sauce and rubbing his saliva on passing dishes. This food could then be seen travelling on to other unsuspecting customers, who possibly ate the infected products.

Dozens of similar videos have appeared online since then, sparking public concern over health and safety - and threatening Japan’s multibillion dollar dining industry. Several sushi train restaurants have made appeals for offenders to stop the food sabotage, while some have even ceased operating their main attraction - the conveyor belt - altogether.

According to Kyodo News, the three ‘pranksters’ were arrested on suspicion of ‘forcible obstruction of business’, as per Japan’s Penal Code. Among the trio is a 21-year-old, who, in a ten-second clip posted to social media, can be seen putting his mouth on the spout of a communal soy sauce dispenser at a Kura Sushi conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.

Two teenagers, part of the same dining group, aged 19 and 15, were also reportedly involved. Police said that all of the suspects have admitted to wrongdoing - with one also apologising for his actions.

A spokesperson for Kura Sushi, the restaurant chain targeted by those arrested, described the viral video trend as “extremely dangerous”. He added: “Such inconsiderate action shakes the foundations of the relationship of trust we have built with our customers, and we sincerely hope that broad knowledge that such actions are a crime will prevent others from engaging in such behaviour.”

What is ‘sushi terrorism’?

So-called ‘sushi terrorism’ is the name that has been given to the unhygienic behaviour. Examples of the food tampering have included:

• licking communal soy sauce bottles
• licking chopsticks
• touching other customers’ dishes 
• placing a cigarette butt in a container of ginger
• putting wasabi on someone else’s food order

How have sushi restaurants responded?

Sushiro, the market leader in Japan, said its sushi would be delivered only via an “express lane” to customers who order via touch-screen devices. Diners will also be required to collect their own utensils and only use condiments provided by staff. This, the restaurant chain said, would make it harder for other diners to tamper with food.

Kura Sushi has said it will soon start using cameras equipped with artificial intelligence to monitor customers’ tables, despite complaints that it was effectively putting its clientele under surveillance. It has also developed an alert system, which informs the chain’s offices if a person is caught returning a plate that has been tampered with.

Meanwhile, Choshimaru, a chain which operates outlets in greater Tokyo, said it was halting its conveyor belts entirely.

The end of conveyor belt sushi restaurants?

In recent weeks many have expressed concern for the future of conveyor belt sushi restaurants, with many chains changing the way they operate. Some Japanese social media users have questioned whether this will continue indefinitely - as customers may now be more nervous about hygiene standards in restaurants and the safety of their food.

Kura Sushi’s head of public relations, Hiroyuki Okamoto, also voiced concerns, remarking: “Our company has been hearing from a large number of customers who tell us they no longer trust or want to go to conveyor belt sushi restaurants. This is a crisis not only for our stores, but for the entire conveyor belt sushi industry.”