TOKYO - A viral social media video showing a man believed to be a foreign national being restrained by police in Tokyo has sparked widespread debate, with claims that officers had begun deporting troublesome tourists by wrapping them 'like sushi.'
The footage, posted on X in February 2026, was viewed more than 4.5 million times and reposted around 15,000 times. It was accompanied by an English caption claiming: 'Japan has started sushi-rolling nuisance tourists. Cause trouble and police will wrap you up and deport you (lol).'
The authenticity of the video and the accuracy of the accompanying claim quickly came under scrutiny.
The clip shows two police officers confronting a man on a street. One officer throws him to the ground before several officers carry him onto what appears to be a green sheet. Four officers then wrap the man in the material before placing him into a patrol car marked with the logo of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
To verify the footage, reporters identified the filming location as the area around JR Shin-Okubo Station in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward.
Interviews with staff at 11 nearby businesses found that workers at four establishments recalled an incident around February 2026 in which a man believed to be a foreign national became heavily intoxicated and caused a disturbance, prompting police to respond.
However, none of those interviewed could confirm witnessing the man being wrapped in a sheet.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department said officers do in some cases use a 'protective sheet' when transporting intoxicated individuals who are acting violently. According to police, the sheet is intended to move people safely while drawing less public attention.
Based on witness accounts and the police explanation, the incident shown in the video appears likely to have occurred, though some details remain unverified.
Police also rejected the claim that the man was treated differently because he was a foreigner. Officials said the use of such equipment is for safety reasons and is unrelated to nationality.
That means the central allegation in the post — that police wrapped a foreign tourist for deportation — was inaccurate.
The case highlights how jokes or exaggerated captions attached to genuine footage can quickly be mistaken for fact once widely shared online. As reposts multiply, misleading text and real images can become separated from their original context, fueling false narratives.
Source: FNN
