Wave of 'sushi terrorism' grips Japan’s restaurant world

Signature cuisine is at the centre of a police investigation after customers at revolving sushi restaurants posted video clips of themselves meddling with dishes

There are breaches of etiquette – drenching your rice in soy sauce, for one – and then there are heinous acts of "sushi terrorism".

Japan's signature cuisine is at the centre of a police investigation after customers at revolving sushi restaurants posted video clips of themselves interfering with food and playing pranks on other customers.

The incidents have sent shares plummeting in a leading kaitenzushi chain and prompted operators to rethink how they serve their dishes.

Several acts of what is being called “sushi terrorism” have emerged on Twitter and other social media in recent days, although some apparently date back weeks, and even years.

A clip of the most egregious culinary crime, which has been viewed almost 40m times on Twitter, shows what appears to be a teenager licking the open top of a communal soy sauce bottle and the entire rim of a teacup, which he then places back on a shelf.

If that wasn't bad enough, the 48-second clip shows him licking his finger and using it to touch two pieces of sushi, presumably ordered by another customer, as they travel past on the conveyer belt. ...continue reading