Man given prison term for food prank at beef bowl diner in Osaka

A man who appeared in a viral video engaging in unsanitary behavior at a Yoshinoya beef bowl diner in Osaka was given a two-year-and-four-month prison term and fined 200,000 yen on Thursday, with the sentence also reflecting a drug offense.

I question whether society could offer a better, cheaper alternative to years of incarceration of a clearly uneducated 35-year-old construction worker deemed to be “lacking morals.”

His main conviction was for growing cannabis. Acting like a tit was just a bonus charge to show what what typical pot heads are like.

“…bringing a communal container of pickled ginger directly to his mouth and eating from it.” It’s not even a funny ‘prank’ is it?

I question whether society could offer a better, cheaper alternative to years of incarceration of a clearly uneducated 35-year-old construction worker deemed to be “lacking morals.”

If he is uneducated it is on him at 35. He's not a child. Most people will feel more comfortable for a few years without this anti-social dropkick in public.

A prison term for the stupid act in the beef store is OTT. The article does not state the term for that since it includes his drug charge.

Clearly they made a example out of him to deter any future copy cats. He did cause a massive shock wave across the catering industry. Due to one person idiocy to get views, they cause so much inconvenience for those who visited these places to eat. Sucks to be him but in the end one has to answer for his own actions when caught.

They did this at the height of Covid. They sat and mocked as he licked the soy sauce dispenser, ate out of the ginger pot, and licked the unused chopsticks. This was not a prank it was putting innocent lives in danger.

If he is uneducated it is on him at 35. Most people will feel more comfortable for a few years without this anti-social dropkick in public.

I’m certain we could rehabilitate this fellow and better prepare him for reintroduction to society at far less cost, time, and resources.

The sentence by the Osaka District Court also reflected a separate conviction for growing cannabis.

Be REALLY nice to have an unambiguous article that states things clearly!

A man who appeared in a viral video engaging in unsanitary behavior at a Yoshinoya beef bowl diner in Osaka was given a two-year-and-four-month prison term and fined 200,000 yen on Thursday, with the sentence also reflecting a drug offense.

There is no way in hell he got this sentence for what he did at Yoshinoya.

Take away what he did at Yoshinoya and folks would be commenting on the convoluted sentencing differences between what he got for the drug offense, growing cannabis, and the suspended sentence a woman in Okinawa got for importing, thc through the mail to her military son.

And other cases down here where guys have been caught growing, and got slaps on the wrist.

This is another case of a Japanese getting a harsher sentence than a foreigner for cannabis!

Great news, go to jail clown..

5 years + $ should be acceptable. I hope Yoshinoya cleans his bank accounts too.

Food pranks create major business disruption and that costs the economy and Govt. tax receipts. Govt. sending a loud message to all, don't mess with our cash!

At least we have an example for what happens if you do this

This is a great news! I wish it was 25 years in jail, but this would still do.

Very misleading headline. The man was jailed for the drug offence not the childish behavior in the restaurant.

People have become idiots ever since social media ( in Japan especially Line Voom and TikTok ) became popular. They do all sorts of pathetic things and upload it without any thought! It’s about time all schools, work areas and public establishments prohibit personal cellphone usage and also ban taking of photos and recording of videos so that people aren’t a nuisance in public area!

@Jim

It’s about time all schools, work areas and public establishments prohibit personal cellphone usage...

Wait, someone commits a crime and you want to ban people from using smartphones at work and in public places? That's like, someone wrote something naughty, so you decide to ban pencils!

This crime was premeditated, he knew what he was going to do and took a numb skull crony along to film it. Its good to know he got a prison sentence, and it is a pity that his accomplice did not get one to.

His main conviction was for growing cannabis. Acting like a twit was just a bonus charge to show what typical pot heads are like.

Couldn't agree more. The sentence is fitting on both.

However, I think a combined 500.000 man a bit low.

incarceration time. Yeah , spot on.

Idea, make this clown prepare prison food while he does some hard time. Maybe he'll think twice before messing around with prisoners' food inside the BIG House!

> > Ryu Shimazu, a 35-year-old construction worker, a man who appeared in a viral video causing property damage by bringing a communal container of pickled ginger directly to his mouth and eating from it in a video that was shared widely online.

The sentence by the Osaka District Court also reflected a separate conviction for growing cannabis.

A male acquaintance of Shimazu who recorded the prank and shared the video on social media was fined 300,000 yen in a separate summary judgement.

So.........this moron is an idiot. And clearly his friend isn't any better.

16 months in jail and a 200K yen fine?

and his friend gets 300K yen for recording him?

Those money numbers don't make sense.

Why not make it real simple.

24 months in jail 500k yen fine for the genius.

and leave it at 300K yen for the sidekick.

Clearly, if you're 35 and doing dumb crap like this, and even worse putting it on social media, you have no business being in society.

It’s about time all schools, work areas and public establishments prohibit personal cellphone usage and also ban taking of photos and recording of videos

Yes. Take away vast swaths of human rights in response to a nuisance. The Kim Jong Un solution.

Good. Sends a message that these behaviors - the ginger thing and the weed - should not and will not be tolerated.

Judge said the guy was selfish, and he smokes pot. Not surprised. Most pot smokers are quite selfish people.

None of the other idiots who went to court for stupid restaurant pranks got jail time. Not one.

Why? Easy, that offense doesn't carry Jail time. But guess what does? Growing cannabis.

This story is like reporting that Peter Sutcliff (the Yorkshire ripper) was jailed for life for driving a car with a false number plate. Oh and by the way also killed a bunch of women.

@Mr Kipling

Nice example.

Acting like a tit was just a bonus charge to show what what typical pot heads are like.

For the anally-retentive posters with a clear certainty about what many hundreds of millions, if not billions, of pot heads are like, please educate us all. Does kidnapping children and hiding them in tunnels under pizza parlors come into it somewhere?

This sentence is too harsh!!!!! Two years for putting his mouth on some ginger.

> Fighto!Feb. 16  07:41 am JST

I question whether society could offer a better, cheaper alternative to years of incarceration of a clearly uneducated 35-year-old construction worker deemed to be “lacking morals.”

If he is uneducated it is on him at 35. He's not a child. Most people will feel more comfortable for a few years without this anti-social dropkick in public.

Cannabis or not, this type of behavior is grossly unsanitary and unacceptable. Recently at a McDonalds close to where I live somebody had a take out order and found a crack pipe along with the food in the bag.

MarkFeb. 16  12:07 pm JST

sorry, somebody have to be the example so that the public will stop this kind of foolish childish acts. You are just unlucky to be the one in the queue, nothing personal. But indeed, i will say...bravo!! you deserve it !!!

As for this clod he clearly was doing his sick stunt in view of everyone there. Now his Famous Fifteen Minutes are up. Go Directly To Jail, geek. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect $200.

I find it funny in a country that mosaics everything that the one thing you would think they would blur or at least put a black bar over their eyes and dub their voices they don't and post it as is. What is the point of these "pranks"? Do people online really get that much of a kick out of watching these yahoos doing unsanitary things in a public restaurant? Also how is the guy filming getting fined more then the guy who committed the act? That part makes no sense to me.