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Much like how a bluebird heralds the beginning of spring, it seems the late winter months in Japan are often greeted by someone doing something horribly disgusting in a revolving sushi restaurant. Whether it’s putting cameras on the belt to peek into everyone’s booth or intentionally dropping fish in the garbage, it seems there is something about the end of the frigid weather that really brings out the jerk in some people.
While this behavior seemed to die down since the pandemic began, it now appears to be back with a vengeance. At the end of January a video went viral of a teen licking various items in his booth like the bottle of soy sauce and a self-service drinking cup, and then returning them for the next customer to unknowingly use at a branch of conveyor belt sushi chain Sushiro in Gifu Prefecture.
The incident has since been widely dubbed daeki tero (saliva terrorism) and the terrorist responsible has since turned himself in to the authorities and, along with his parents, apologized to the company. However, considering the company that owns the restaurant chain saw a five percent dip in stock price right after the video came out, they might not be satisfied with a simple apology.
▼ “Sushiro: If the stock price fell due to soy-sauce-licking shock, that would amount to a loss of 10 billion yen in total market value at this point in time. If that store in Gifu loses sales due to harmful rumors and is forced to close a causal relationship can be confirmed and a claim for damages, including lost profits, could easily amount to hundreds of millions of yen.”
Not only that but Sushiro along with all the other revolving sushi chains have a major trust issue on their hands. This daeki tero boy is much like a cockroach in that… Actually, he’s like a cockroach in a lot of ways but mainly in that when you see one, you can envision there’re a hundred more out there, and in any posting of the video on social media, you’re sure to find several comments to the effect of, “I’m never eating conveyor belt sushi again.” The idea of having your food float through a room of strangers before eating it became a lot more problematic when COVID-19 hit, and things like daeki tero certainly aren’t helping.
Kura Sushi, another conveyor belt sushi chain, announced that they are installing microchips on the cases that hold the plates of sushi. In addition to monitoring how long they’ve been sitting on the belt, they’ll be able to detect if the case has been tampered with so customers can avoid sushi that may have been compromised.
Meanwhile, Hama Sushi, yet another conveyor belt sushi chain, abolished the public conveyor way back in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Instead, they rely solely on the express belts used by most major chains in which the customer orders from a touchscreen at their seat and their desired dish zooms right to their table. Immediately following the daeki tero incident rumors swirled that Sushiro had gone the same route but the company has officially denied those rumors, saying they are instead making changes to how utensils and seasonings are stored.
▼ Orders can often be made from a tablet installed at each table or the customer’s smartphone.
In addition to keeping it away from idiots, ordering sushi directly way has the added benefits of it being more freshly made and not having to wait for the topping you want to eventually make its way across the entire restaurant at a snail’s pace. It also helps the restaurant to keep a tighter rein on its stock during busy and slow times.
Because of this, express lanes have been in partial use for a long time now, and most people would probably understand if revolving sushi restaurants evolved their conveyor belt system to only use them. Kura Sushi at least seems to be making a concerted effort to maintain the classic formula, but with the increased public awareness of incidents like daeki tero, it’s difficult to say how long even they can hold on.
However, one of the many comments about this issue posed the most important existential question:
“If a revolving sushi restaurant’s sushi doesn’t revolve, isn’t it just a regular sushi restaurant?”
“I don’t see how any of this is protecting the soy sauce and cups though.”
“They’ll have to switch to individually packaged sauce and paper cups. It’s not great for the environment though.”
“Just keeping the food stocked in the back is fine. We don’t need it moving around.”
“I’m fine with takeout, thanks.”
“I think even if there’re only express belts there’ll be guys trying to spit on it as it moves past.”
“How about banning anyone under 18 from entering?”
“Whatever system renovations Sushiro needs to do should be paid for by that daeki tero fool.”
There really is something to just having food casually float by and plucking out whatever looks appealing rather than having to think about what you want to eat. Sometimes, something unexpected passes by and ends up being an especially memorable treat to make the overall experience that much better.
It’ll be sad if that experience disappears, but daeki tero and deadly viruses might end up being why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: J-Cast News, Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from SoraNews24.
-- Kappa Sushi rents out conveyor belt for diners to use at home
-- Meat lovers, you can now satisfy your carnivorous cravings at this revolving sushi restaurant!
-- Conveyor belt sushi chain where foreigner filmed GoPro video considers pressing criminal charges
- External Link
- https://soranews24.com/2023/02/02/is-it-the-end-of-japans-conveyor-belt-sushi-as-we-know-it/
15 Comments
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Michael Machida
The answer is yes. Because a Japanese person was licking the unused utensils with his tongue for customers to use. Other things were also licked. With his tongue in the restaurant.
kohakuebisu
Perhaps yes, but only as the last nail in the coffin. Most conveyor sushi shut off the conveyor during Covid, so even folks who didn't order off the touch screen before now do so. It makes little sense to take something off the conveyor when you can order the same thing fresh off a touch screen, as many have been doing for years.
The problem with this kid is that you could have copycat licking etc. at any buffet restaurant, drink bar, etc. If you are going to stop going to restaurants because of it, you should include family restaurants and breakfast buffets at hotels. That risk is not limited to sushi places.
The kid is a major p i t a and should be heavily sued.
KariHaruka
I've been ordering off the touch screen since 2015, and I can imagine that most other customers do, too.
This recent incident is one of the (if not the) final nail in the coffin of conveyer belt sushi. Hopefully this will also lead to less food wastage.
nosuke
Everone thinks this was the first and only occassion that some random punk kids put bugers and lick utensils at any resturant . I seen stuff like this happen many times in my entire life. Kids/tenagers will do stupid things for attention and for fun without much thought. Best thing to do is just put survelence camera in every part of the resturant using AI bots to spot any of these type of activity.
Speed
I love the kaiten system along with the option to order from the touch screen. Keep it the way it is but pummel any fool who does what that daeki tero cool did.
Speed
fool
Aly Rustom
My family and I have been loyal Hama Sushi fans since day one. When they switched to the express belts we thought they were really cool having your order swish right to you. Love it.
kaiten sushi can still exist- but I would guess it would be more successful in smaller establishments where the conveyer is one circle, everyone can see each other, and the chef is in the middle. Incidents like the one above are less likely to occur in that setting.
Mirai Hayashi
society is gravely ill!
u_s__reamer
Eew! But still much ado about nothing: there are worse things out there than spittle on a bottle.
Newgirlintown
I wonder how this kid has been treated by his local neighborhood, his school, family, friends etc since all this. He must be getting a hard time because of it. What a stupid, disgusting thing to do though.
browny1
The act was moronic as was the putting it out there for all to see.
One could be considered quite naive to believe such incidents of "food tampering" doesn't happen esp with the young adult / teenager set.
I know from years ago what some night shift guys on 12 hr shifts, got up to in the Orange Juice factory at 2 in the morning when the toilet beckoned?
Or at one of the "better" restaurants when the exasperated waitress comes into the kitchen and announces that the guy on table 6 is acting like the prima donna boorish imp he is. Spittle never tasted so good.
All down right disgusting - but unsanitary acts - deliberate or otherwise, may be quite rare, while also being more common than you think.
Mocheake
I've been to a kaitenzushi maybe 15 times in 4 decades. Won't miss them if they croak.
Strangerland
Cool story bro.
TokyoOldMan
Eating out of the Ginger holders is another one, young Kids coughing all over the condiments, etc. and yes, through into the fray, Social undesirables such as the Parent and Kid creating the YouTube video... adds up to a lack of interest in going to such places.