Explained: What Is 'Sushi Terrorism' That Is Plaguing Restaurant Chains In Japan?

The 'sushi terror' acts, which have hit the finances of the country's famous rotating 'kaiten-style' restaurants, have been dubbed "sushitero" or "sushi terrorism" on social media.

In recent weeks, the Japanese sushi industry has been hit by a spate of "sushi terror" or "sushi terrorism" pranks, causing concern for many restaurants and consumers. It has also led to a fall in shares of sushi chains, reported BBC.

So, what is this 'sushi terror prank' that's sweeping Japan?

The acts of sushi terrorism involve perpetrators touching plates of food coming down conveyor belts or even licking shared soy sauce bottles, before sharing the videos of their actions on social media. In response, restaurants have taken measures to protect themselves and their customers from the risks of potential contamination.

IMPACT OF THE 'PRANKS'

The acts, which have hit the finances of the country's famous rotating 'kaiten-style' restaurants, have been dubbed "sushitero" or "sushi terrorism" on social media, according to CNN. Sushiro, Kura Sushi, and Hamazushi are some of the restaurant chains that have been affected by the pranksters. Kura Sushi, for instance, reported that three people had taken part in “extremely malicious nuisance” at its restaurant in the city of Nagoya on February 3. Two other kaitenzushi chains also filed police reports.

POLICE ACTION ON SUSHI TERROR

The police recently made several arrests over "sushi terror" incidents. According to a report by Kyodo news agency, three people had been arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business. These arrests are thought to be the first involving customers suspected of “unhygienic behaviour and harassment".

The suspects were all part of the same group of diners who were caught on CCTV cameras in the restaurant. One of the customers, a 21-year-old, Ryoga Yoshino, allegedly put his mouth on the spout of a soy sauce dispenser. Two other customers, a 19-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl, were also arrested for allegedly helping share a 10-second clip that showed Yoshino putting a soy sauce bottle in his mouth. 

Kura Sushi appreciated the police's "swift response," saying in a statement that the inconsiderate action "shakes the foundations of the relationship of trust we have built with our customers."

PREVIOUS INSTANCES OF SUSHI TERRORISM

The phenomenon is not new in Japan, as the country has been dealing with it since 2013. However, the recent rise in "sushi terror" incidents has been attributed to a rise in Covid-19 infections, which has made people more hygiene conscious. This trend has led some Japanese social media users to question whether conveyor belt sushi restaurants have a future in the country as consumers demand more attention to cleanliness and hygiene.

PRECAUTIONS RESTAURANTS ARE TAKING

Consequently, the kaitenzushi chains have made a number of changes to address customers' concerns and protect their businesses. Sushiro has stopped serving unordered food on conveyor belts altogether, while Kura Sushi has decided to use AI-operated cameras to monitor customers to see if they're misbehaving. 

However, this, too, has been criticized by some customers who feel that they're being put under surveillance. Choshimaru, which operates outlets in the greater Tokyo area, has halted its conveyor belts, weeks after Sushiro, the market leader, said its sushi would be delivered only via an "express lane" to customers who order via touch-screen devices, making it harder for other diners to tamper with food.

Kaitenzushi is a type of sushi restaurant that serves sushi dishes on a conveyor belt. The word "kaiten" means "revolving" or "rotating," and "zushi" means sushi. In kaitenzushi restaurants, customers sit at a counter or table and can choose from a wide variety of sushi dishes that are placed on a moving conveyor belt that runs past their table. Customers can simply take the sushi plates they want as they pass by, or they can order specific dishes from the chefs working behind the counter. The plates are usually color-coded to indicate the price of each dish. Kaitenzushi is popular in Japan and is also becoming increasingly popular in other parts of the world.

Kaitenzushi has grown into a ¥740bn (£4.5bn/$5.4bn) industry since the first restaurant opened in Osaka in 1958, reported CNN. It is now uses a drive-to-use cutting-edge technology to speed up the delivery of food to diners and address a chronic labour shortage. However, the recent changes could take sushi back to its analogue roots, with diners at hundreds of restaurants forced to wait for their orders to be hand-delivered.