A Japanese teenager, who was seen licking a soy sauce bottle in a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in a viral video, is now facing a lawsuit seeking nearly USD 480,000 (approximately Rs 4 Crore). The viral clip resulted in a significant decline in sales for Akindo Sushiro, a restaurant chain owned by Food and Life Companies. Other than the soy sauce bottle, the teenager, in the video, can be seen licking an unused teacup before touching a plate of sushi with his saliva-covered finger. The incident, dubbed as ‘sushi terrorism,’ also resulted in many other people imitating the behaviour, further amplifying the controversy across social media platforms.
According to the South China Morning Post, the lawsuit has been filed at the Osaka District Court and the company’s market value reportedly fell by over 16 billion yen between January 30 and 31. As a result, Akindo Sushiro has implemented various measures, including the installation of plastic barriers at more than 600 outlets nationwide, leading to a loss of 90 million yen.
The sushi chain operator may potentially seek higher damages for the expenses incurred due to these preventive measures.
#반성하지않음 #청춘 #배고프다 #스시테러 #스시로 pic.twitter.com/fveD2CTv1x— 髙井 十蔵 (@ju__pippippi) January 30, 2023
While the boy involved has acknowledged his actions of licking the items and expressed regret, his defence team argues that the footage was intended only to be shared among his friends. They say that he had no intention of creating a video to be circulated online.
Akindo Sushiro is one of the biggest players in the conveyor belt sushi industry with over 600 restaurants in operation. The company has its reach by opening its first overseas branch in Seoul, South Korea. Presently, the restaurant chain has an impressive presence in Korea’s capital city, with a total of 14 branches in various locations.
To address incidents of ‘Sushi Terrorism’, Kura Sushi, another conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan, announced its plans to use AI-powered cameras to monitor customer behaviour and identify any suspicious activities.
The restaurant already had cameras installed to track the number of plates taken by customers and calculate the bill accordingly. Now, the system will be enhanced to detect potential misconduct that will alert employees to take necessary action.