Conveyor belt sushi, or kaitenzushi, restaurants in Japan have been under siege in recent weeks because of a wave of “sushi terrorism” attacks that are eroding the public’s trust in the cleanliness of such establishments.
The acts have been dubbed #sushitero and #sushiterrorism online and depict various perpetrators putting their mouths on shared soy sauce bottles and touching or licking plates of food as they come down the conveyor belt — to be later eaten by an unsuspecting patron down the line.
Other videos showed pranksters putting wasabi on passing sushi, stealing pieces from plates as they go by, and putting communal spoons for matcha powder in their mouths.
The recent uptick in unhygienic pranks has sparked public concern. Some Japanese people have expressed they are thinking twice about visiting conveyor belt restaurants.
Conveyor belt sushi franchises across Japan have been scrambling to address the pranks and concerns about cleanliness at their establishments.
On Wednesday, police arrested three people accused of being involved in a sushi terrorism prank on Feb. 3 at a Kura Sushi location in Nagoya City.
Public broadcaster NHK reported that police arrested 21-year-old Yoshino Ryoga, who was allegedly filmed putting his mouth on a soy sauce bottle spout, and two young people, ages 19 and 15, who are suspected of obstructing the restaurant’s operation.
Kura Sushi said the group’s prank was an “extremely malicious nuisance,” in a statement on Wednesday.
“We hope that the recent arrests will allow the public to recognize that actions which undermine our trust-based structure for our customers is a crime,” the company wrote.
“Our company will continue to strive to further improve the system to prevent such nuisances so that customers can enjoy their meals safely and comfortably. We will continue to do our best to … grow the conveyor belt sushi culture that is dear to Japan globally.”
In the wake of the sushi terrorism acts, a number of conveyor belt franchises have enacted new policies to combat tampering.
The Choushimaru chain in eastern Japan brought its conveyor belts to a halt altogether after a customer put a cigarette butt in a jar of pickled ginger. Meanwhile, the Sushiro chain has stopped serving unordered dishes on its conveyor belts.
Kura Sushi said it will use AI-enhanced cameras to monitor customers for food tampering and theft.
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