Three people have been arrested following a series of “sushi terrorism” videos posted online in Japan.
Videos showing customers interfering with food and pranking other diners at some of Japan’s conveyor belt sushi restaurants, known as kaitenzushi, brings down the shares of certain sites.
A video showed a man licking the top of a bottle of soy sauce on a sushi train before licking his finger and touching pieces of sushi believed to be for other customers.
Other videos showed people putting wasabi on other customers’ sushi and licking a communal spoon into a container of green tea powder.
Three people who were all part of the same group of diners were arrested on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The arrests would be the first for customers suspected of behavior “deemed unhygienic and constituting a form of harassment”, the agency said.
Among those arrested are 21-year-old Ryoga Yoshino, who allegedly licked a bottle of common soy sauce at a Kura Sushi restaurant in Nagoya city last month.
Two minors, aged 19 and 15, who police say were also involved in sharing a 10-second clip online capturing the act were also arrested. Police said this constituted obstruction of business under the Penal Code.
All of the suspects have admitted to their involvement, police said.
The behavior “shakes the foundations” of the relationship with customers
Kura Sushi said he appreciated the “quick response” from the police, according to SoraNews24.
In a statement, he said: “Such a reckless action … shakes the foundations of the relationship of trust we have established with our customers, and we sincerely hope that widespread knowledge that such actions are a crime will prevent others from engaging in such behavior.”
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Kura Sushi said it would install cameras above the conveyor belts to monitor diners.
Last month, the Sushiro chain changed its service rules, asking customers to pick up condiments and utensils at a service point rather than placing them on individual tables.
