Japanese restaurant chain files complaint over prank video

Sushiro signed at one of its stores in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, on November 4, 2022, Tomohiko Kaneko. Sushiro said it had filed a complaint with the Gifu police over a viral video of a potentially harmful prank he pulled at one of its restaurants.

In a video posted on social media, the young man licks the rims of teacups and the mouth of a soy sauce bottle shared with other customers in a restaurant in Gifu.

He is seen putting his saliva on a dish of sushi before it was served to another customer.

Akindo Sushiro Co.Sushiro Co. said it filed a damage report with the police on January 31.

While the man and his guardian apologized in person, the company said that is not enough to deter it from taking legal action and that it will pursue criminal and civil cases.

The operator said all the teacups in the outlet were washed clean and the soy sauce bottles were replaced before it opened its doors to customers on January 30.

The chain said it is taking measures to prevent a similar occurrence.

It is now asking customers to pick up tableware and sauce bottles from a specific area in the restaurant instead of placing them at the counter and on tables at the outlet in question, as well as at neighboring outlets.

It is also installing transparent plastic panels between the tables and the conveyor belt that carry the dishes to customers there and other suburban restaurants.