Osaka bento retailer closed for 5 days over food poisoning

Have to say it's always bothered me that many Japanese food preparers use their bare hands instead of using gloves. Maybe I'm being a little too fussy, but it always worrys me.

One of my many concerns, people that handle money and don't wash hands when they touch food.

If Japan has any health inspectors they certainly don't do much. This obviously could have been prevented if regular inspections were made. The state of many kitchens I have seen is disgusting. I don't think many people are trained in food hygiene either.

I have some friends working here in Japan, cleaning the kitchens, air vents etc...at many "fine hotels and restaurants" and after what they told me about CUCARACHAS running hog wild even at the best restaurants and hotels in Japan, well, I wanted to PUKE! I wanted to never ever go to eat out again, so be careful where you eat and if you do say find 1 cockroach, it AINT THE ONLY ONE!

i think basic sanitation at mom-n-pop/independent establishments in japan are severely lacking. sometimes the restrooms, that are used by employees also, don't have soap or anti-bacteria handwash. i'm surprised cases of food poisoning don't occur more often.

I been working at a fairly resurant in Tokyo and been told that cockroaches are "OK" but mice are NOT! (could be shutdown) Than I worked at Gaspanic which was the most disgusting place ever with cockroaches frozen inside of the ice cubes going into the drinks of customers - most likely still happen.

I think on an individual level a lot of people are in fact TOO sanitary -- carrying wet-naps everywhere, etc. But you can see a grave contrast to this in the restaurant biz. It's amazing this shop is only being closed down for FIVE days after 44 people were poisoned!

I love eating in japan but I have gotten a record amount of food poisioning incidents when I lived / travelled there. I had everything from raw chicken to norwalk, to shellfish poisoning (3 times?)

I still love eating bento boxes too. heheheh

The most sanitary foods to eat are those which are boiled like ramen and udon. As for toilet training of food connected personell, wash after using the john with soap and water (we all know that, don't we)?

So long as people are constantly washing there's nothing terribly wrong with using one's hands in handling food. You don't wash your gloves while wearing them (much, anyway), so it might even be worse if you are handling all sorts of different foods with the same gloves.

I needed a toilet bad one night and the woman's room was full. I think the girl was drunk. So anyway, I went into the men's toilet. On top of the urinal was a cartoon of a man using one. It said under it in the caption, employees must wash chop sticks when finished! Eeewwwwwwww

Oh deer. Hope it's not o157 again.

Back on topic please.

Japangal.

That sounds bad but somewhat funny.

O157 is not all that bad and pretty common globally just read the new of 400 kids getting food-poisoning at a sports even during the summer.

As an aside I been to a Biker Rallies and as you say the ladies got longer line. Had one lady using the urinal standing up, she told me later that they sell special cups for Hikers, etc.