Teenager accused of ‘sushi terrorism’ is sued by Japanese conveyor-belt restaurant chain

A Japanese assembly line restaurant chain is suing a teenager accused of “sushi terrorism” after he was filmed licking his finger and wiping his saliva on the fish.

Shares in Akindo Sushiro fell sharply after a video of the teen went viral in January, gaining nearly 40 million views on Twitter.

He licked a bottle of soy sauce and a teacup, which he then returned to the conveyor belt for other customers to use.

The chain’s owner says the images have led to fewer visitors and is now seeking £380,000 in damages.

Sushiro will install plastic barriers for £510,000, according to the Time.

In the video, dubbed “sushi terrorism,” the teen licks the top of a communal bottle of soy sauce and the rim of a teacup which he then puts back on a shelf

The teen has reportedly apologized to the chain, but his defense team claims he was unaware the video would be uploaded and have such a big impact.

Court documents also indicate that the loss of business could be due to increased competition from rival chains.

The video, filmed in the central Japanese city of Gifu, reportedly caused shares of the restaurant’s parent company to plummet by nearly five percent.

The teen is part of a series of pranksters filmed contaminating food at assembly-line sushi restaurants in Japan, with the pranks leading to stock slumps, location overhauls and legal action.

Other videos filmed at various chains saw customers putting wasabi on pieces of sushi or spoon-licking into a communal container of green tea powder.

While the incidents appear to be limited to just a few videos, they have caused a stir in Japan, a country with famously high standards of cleanliness.

“This is sickening,” one Japanese Twitter user wrote in response, and another added, “I can’t go to conveyor belt sushi restaurants anymore.”

The customer then licked his finger before touching a piece of sushi as it moved along the belt

In Tokyo, 20-year-old musician Luna Watanabe said she was shocked by the videos.

“Omotenashi (hospitality) is a major selling point in Japan, so I think it’s unforgivable,” she told AFP in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district.

“It’s harmful to customers and employees.”

But others largely shrugged off the incident, including Tetsuya Haneda, a photographer.

“As far as I’m concerned, it only happened once, so that doesn’t mean it happens all the time,” he said.

“It’s not a problem, on the contrary, there are fewer people queuing now, so I don’t have to make reservations to eat, even on weekends.”

Online, too, following the initial outcry, there has been a wave of support for the affected companies, with some tweeting their support under the hashtag #saveSushiro.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Sushiro, but never got around to it because it’s always crowded,” Japanese singer Yuya Tegoshi tweeted.

“But the situation is definitely the worst for them right now, so I’ll definitely visit.”

Sushiro president Kohei Nii said on Twitter that he was overwhelmed by “an outpouring of support.”

The case will be heard in a court in Osaka.