A file photo showing the logo of sushi restaurant chain Sushiro, operated by Akindo Sushiro Co., outside a restaurant in Kawaguchi, Saitama prefecture, in Japan.
A sushi chain is suing a high school student for 67 million yen ($480,000) after social media footage showed him licking his finger then touching a plate of sushi as it passed him on the conveyor belt, Japan’s public broadcaster has reported.
Akindo Sushiro Co., which runs the Sushiro restaurant chain, claims to have suffered a sharp fall in customers after the footage of his actions at a Sushiro outlet in the city of Gifu went viral, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
The footage of the student also showed him licking a soy sauce bottle and a cup that he then placed back onto a communal pile.
The short clip was shared widely in Japan after it was uploaded in January and was one of a number of similar videos – including at some of Sushiro’s competitors – that helped to give rise to the term “sushi terrorism.”
The term is used broadly to refer to unhygienic actions at Japan’s sushi train restaurants, where customers pick dishes from conveyor belts.
Akindo Sushiro Co. filed the lawsuit at the Osaka District Court. It claims to have lost about 16 billion yen ($115 million) following the release of the video due to a sharp drop in customers and a slump in the stock of its parent company, NHK reported.
NHK said the student’s legal counsel wrote to the court in May asking it to dismiss the complaint. It said the student had admitted the act and regretted his actions, but added that there was no proof of a link between his actions and the drop in customers at the sushi chain. It suggested the decline in customers could be due to fierce competition in the industry, NHK reported.
Akindo Sushiro Co. told CNN it would refrain from giving details of the case because it was under appeal.
It added that the circumstances that led to the lawsuit showed it took seriously conduct that undermined its relationship of trust with customers and was prepared to take strict action on both criminal and civil grounds.
ukyah on June 11st, 2023 at 05:05 UTC »
perhaps it's already been said, but if not the reason they're suing him for so much isn't because they think they'll get it or even have any expectation of any kind of judgement. the reason is they're trying to scare the assholes who do these stupid "prank bro" videos and end this sushi terrorism trend.
80sForeva on June 10th, 2023 at 19:14 UTC »
Yes! Tired of these people uploading these prank videos with no fear of repercussions. Hope this sets a presidence that other companies follow.
spicytoastaficionado on June 10th, 2023 at 18:29 UTC »
The lawsuit specifically cites loss in business after the clip went viral, so they likely have literal receipts to show this stunt hurt their bottom line.
100% justified to hold the idiot accountable for the financial damages he caused.