Posted on Feb 3, 2023
Japan's conveyor belt sushi industry takes a licking from an errant customer
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https://www.npr.org/2023/02/02/ [login to see] /japans-conveyor-belt-sushi-industry-takes-a-licking-from-an-errant-customer
Japan's conveyor belt sushi restaurants are struggling to regain the trust of diners, after the industry took a licking from one customer, whose viral videos of him defiling utensils and sushi with his saliva have earned him descriptions ranging from "nuisance" to "sushi terrorist."
The Japanese public's reaction suggests it's a brazen assault on two things of which Japanese are very proud, their sushi and their manners.
With a furtive glance and an impish grin, the young man in the video licks the rim of a teacup before returning it to a stack in front of his seat, where unsuspecting customers may pick it up. He also licks soy sauce bottles and smears his just-licked fingers on pieces of sushi making their rounds of the conveyor belt.
Japan's conveyor belt sushi restaurants are struggling to regain the trust of diners, after the industry took a licking from one customer, whose viral videos of him defiling utensils and sushi with his saliva have earned him descriptions ranging from "nuisance" to "sushi terrorist."
The Japanese public's reaction suggests it's a brazen assault on two things of which Japanese are very proud, their sushi and their manners.
With a furtive glance and an impish grin, the young man in the video licks the rim of a teacup before returning it to a stack in front of his seat, where unsuspecting customers may pick it up. He also licks soy sauce bottles and smears his just-licked fingers on pieces of sushi making their rounds of the conveyor belt.
Japan's conveyor belt sushi industry takes a licking from an errant customer
Posted from npr.org
Japan
Food/Chow
Culture
Posted >1 y ago
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Was just in Tokyo, didn't like the conveyor belt everyone touching each item
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."In an effort to repair the damage, the Akindo Sushiro company which runs the restaurant where the video was filmed, says it has replaced its soy sauce bottles, cleaned its cups, and centralized utensils and tableware at a single point. All the chain's restaurants will provide disinfected tableware to diners who request them.
The chain also says it filed a complaint for damages with police on Tuesday and received a direct apology from the man who made the video, although his motives remain unclear.
Some pundits are blaming the restaurants for trying to save money on labor costs. Fewer restaurant staff means "fraud will be more likely to occur," sushi critic Nobuo Yonekawa argues in an ITMedia report. "It can be said," he concludes, "that the industry itself has created such an environment."
..."In an effort to repair the damage, the Akindo Sushiro company which runs the restaurant where the video was filmed, says it has replaced its soy sauce bottles, cleaned its cups, and centralized utensils and tableware at a single point. All the chain's restaurants will provide disinfected tableware to diners who request them.
The chain also says it filed a complaint for damages with police on Tuesday and received a direct apology from the man who made the video, although his motives remain unclear.
Some pundits are blaming the restaurants for trying to save money on labor costs. Fewer restaurant staff means "fraud will be more likely to occur," sushi critic Nobuo Yonekawa argues in an ITMedia report. "It can be said," he concludes, "that the industry itself has created such an environment."
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