‘Sushi Terrorist’ drops Japanese restaurant’s stock value … after filming himself licking community bottle of soy sauce and touching piece of food as it moves on conveyor belt

A “sushi terrorist” sent a Japanese restaurant’s share price tumbling after he filmed himself licking the top of a shared soy sauce bottle and touching a piece of food as it circulated on a conveyor belt.

The teenager is part of a series of pranksters who have filmed contaminating food at assembly-line sushi restaurants in Japan, with the pranks leading to stock drops, renovations and legal action.

In the video, which has been dubbed “sushi terrorism”, the teenager licks the lid of a shared soy sauce bottle and the rim of a teacup, which he then puts back on a shelf before licking his finger and eating a piece touch sushi while it is on passes belt.

The footage, which has been viewed nearly 40 million times on Twitter and was filmed at a branch of the Sushiro chain in the central Japanese city of Gifu, sent shares in the restaurant’s parent company down nearly 5 percent on Tuesday.

Other videos have emerged, in which customers of various chains are seen passing wasabi pieces of sushi or licking the spoon into a communal container of green tea powder.

In the video, called “sushi terrorism”, the teenager licks the lid of a shared soy sauce bottle and the rim of a teacup, which he then puts back on a shelf

The customer then licks their finger before touching a piece of sushi as it travels across the belt

Other videos have surfaced showing customers at various chains putting wasabi on their sushi or licking the spoon into a communal container of green tea powder.

Although the incidents appear to be limited to a few videos, they have caused quite a stir in Japan, a country known for its high standards of cleanliness.

“This is disgusting,” one Japanese Twitter user wrote in response, with another adding: “I can’t go to assembly line sushi restaurants anymore.”

In a statement, Sushiro said the teenager behind the viral video apologized along with his parents, but the company filed a formal complaint with the police.

“As a company, we will continue to respond vigorously in both criminal and civil matters,” it said.

It said all soy sauce bottles at the affected store had been replaced and all cups cleaned, and announced new restaurant policies.

At the Gifu branch and others nearby, customers now bring cutlery and condiments to their tables from a serving point, and diners across the country can request sanitized dishes.

Two other affected chains, Hama Sushi and Kura Sushi, have also announced legal action, with the latter planning to install cameras over conveyor belts to monitor customers, Jiji News Agency reports.

The footage, which has been viewed nearly 40 million times on Twitter and was shot at a branch of the Sushiro chain in the central Japanese city of Gifu, sent shares in the restaurant’s parent company down nearly 5 percent on Tuesday.

In Tokyo, 20-year-old musician Luna Watanabe said she was shocked by the videos.

“Omotenashi (hospitality) is a big selling point in Japan, so I think it’s unforgivable,” she told AFP in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district.

“It’s harmful to customers and employees.”

But others largely shrugged off the incident, including Tetsuya Haneda, a photographer.

“As far as I’m concerned, it only happened once, so that doesn’t mean it happens all the time,” he said.

“It’s not a problem, on the contrary, there are fewer people standing in line now, so I don’t have to make reservations for dinner, even on weekends.”

Also online, after the initial outcry, there was a surge of support for the affected companies, with some tweeting their support with the hashtag #saveSushiro.

“Always wanted to go to Sushiro but never got around to it because it’s always full,” Japanese singer Yuya Tegoshi tweeted.

“But the situation is definitely the worst for her now, so I will definitely visit her.”

Kohei Nii, president of Sushiro, said on Twitter that he was overwhelmed by “an outpouring of support.”