The World Briefly

March 15, 2023

Terrorism By Sushi

Japan

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Police in the Aichi prefecture arrested three young people in connection with cases of sushi terrorism that have been rising in Japan and threatening the iconic conveyor belt sushi culture in the country, NBC News reported.

The three youngsters, who are aged from 15 to 21, were caught in a video showing one of them drinking directly from a communal bottle of soy sauce.

The arrests are some of the first relating to incidents that have been increasingly alarming the Japanese and forcing sushi restaurants to change how they serve food, including removing the conveyor belts.

Late last year, viral videos began showing up showing unsanitary behavior from patrons that outraged diners in a country known for its high standards of cleanliness and jeopardized the multibillion-dollar “kaitenzushi” (conveyor belt sushi) industry.

One video showed a teenager rubbing saliva on a plate of sushi after having already licked the rim of a cup and placing it back on a shelf. Another showed a person spraying food with hand sanitizer as it rolled past on a conveyor belt.

Since the incidents began, the parent companies of conveyor belt sushi restaurants have seen their share values drop as they scrambled to reassure customers appalled by the videos, taking measures to avoid such incidents and reassure disgusted clientele.

The Kura Sushi chain welcomed the arrests and vowed to do everything to protect kaitenzushi, which has been part of Japanese culture for decades.

But another chain announced it is planning to get rid of conveyor belts altogether, saying the move was “a countermeasure against recent nuisance behaviors that have caused serious damages to the restaurant industry.”

This story originally appeared in the March 15, 2023 newsletter, Call Me.