In a recent incident, dubbed “sushi terrorism,” a Japanese teenager licked a soy sauce bottle at a sushi restaurant, sparking outrage. The incident caused a significant decline in sales for the restaurant chain and led to widespread social media controversy.
“Sushi Terrorism”
A viral video showing a Japanese teenager licking a soy sauce bottle at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant has sparked outrage and legal action. Here’s the full story.
The incident, dubbed “sushi terrorism” not only caused a significant decline in sales for the restaurant chain involved but also led to widespread controversy on social media.
Outrageous Behavior Causes Sales to Drop
In the viral video, the teenager can be seen licking a soy sauce bottle, an unused teacup, and even touching a plate of sushi with his saliva-covered finger.
The act of misconduct quickly gained attention, leading to a decline in sales for Akindo Sushiro, the restaurant chain owned by Food and Life Companies.
The negative consequences of the incident compelled Akindo Sushiro to take immediate action.
Huge Financial Loss
As a result, a lawsuit seeking approximately USD 480,000 has been filed at the Osaka District Court. The company’s market value reportedly plummeted by over 16 billion yen in just two days following the incident.
To restore customer trust and prevent similar incidents, the company implemented preventive measures across its 600 outlets nationwide. This included the installation of plastic barriers, resulting in a financial loss of 90 million yen.
Akindo Sushiro may also seek higher damages to cover the expenses incurred due to these measures.
A Show of Remorse
The teenager involved in the incident has acknowledged his actions and expressed remorse. However, his defense team argues that the video was never intended for public circulation. They maintain that the footage was meant solely for sharing among friends, implying that he had no intention of creating a video that would go viral.
However, viewers were concerned about the behavior of the teenager rather than the way the video was leaked.
Enhanced Surveillance
Akindo Sushiro holds a prominent position in Japan’s conveyor-belt sushi industry, operating over 600 restaurants nationwide. In addition to its domestic presence, the company expanded internationally by opening its first overseas branch in Seoul, South Korea, where it currently operates 14 branches.
The incident and its aftermath have highlighted the vulnerability of even major players in the industry to negative publicity and financial losses.
In response to the “sushi terrorism” case, Kura Sushi, another conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan, has announced its plan to enhance surveillance measures.
The company intends to utilize AI-powered cameras to monitor customer behavior and detect potential misconduct.
While Kura Sushi already had cameras in place to track the number of plates taken by customers, this upgraded system will allow for real-time identification of suspicious activities, enabling prompt action by employees.
Shame and Disprespect
Twitter users also expressed their thoughts about the video.
One user wrote, “This is what disrespectful children do. It makes other kids get looked at like they’ll be troublemakers if they go to restaurants or other places of eatery. Y’all should feel ashamed.”
Several other Twitter users said that the teenager should be taught a lesson.
The post Teenager Sued for $480,000 by Sushi Restaurant Chain for Licking a Soy Sauce Bottle on Camera Causing Massive Sales Drop first appeared on Wealthy Living
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cookie Studio. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Twitter