Teenager accused of ‘sushi terrorism’ sued by restaurant

Jan 24, 2024

The operator of a conveyor-belt sushi chain is suing a teenager who was filmed licking his finger and wiping the saliva on fish in an act dubbed "sushi terrorism" across Japan.

Video of the schoolboy licking a soy sauce bottle and teacup, which he returned to the conveyor belt as unused, prompted shares in Akindo Sushiro to drop sharply. The corporate owner of the chain also claimed that the footage led to a fall in customer numbers and is seeking £380,000 in damages.

The video went viral when it was posted online in January, prompting other footage to be uploaded of similar acts across the country, damaging the £4.5 billion kaiten-zushi (rotating sushi) industry in Japan. After the perpetrators were arrested, restaurant groups introduced safety