TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japan’s leading conveyor-belt sushi chain, Sushiro, has been rocked by a viral video of a 17-year-old Japanese high school student purposely licking a soy sauce bottle, cups, and spreading saliva on a passing plate of sushi.
The mischievous activity shared on the Twitter post caused an uproar, sending shares of Sushiro down 5% in market value almost overnight. It also led the chain to rethink its decades-long conveyor-belt service, potentially bringing to an end “pick what you want” or the endless stream of uninterrupted sushi service.
The initial licking incident occurred on Jan. 29 at a Sushiro location in Gifu City, Japan. Since the video surfaced, many Japanese consumers have stayed away from conveyor-belt sushi restaurants. Empty seats are a common sight now, and copycat incidents of sushi subterfuge have also popped up, such as diners heaping piles of wasabi on passing plates of sushi.
Conveyor-belt sushi establishments have been part of Japanese culture for decades, appealing to price-conscious consumers. Four major firms dominate the market, though they have been battered of late by rising seafood costs, inflation, and recent sanitary concerns.
Sushiro pledges to make 3 major sanitary changes to operations. (Sushiro official website photo)
Sushiro is not taking sanitary concerns lightly. In fact, it is hitting back with sweeping changes to operations which it announced on Feb. 3. The first change is that the conveyor belt will only deliver items expressly ordered by customers from a touch panel screen. The second change is that customers can request new tableware or seasonings at their table. Thirdly, transparent acrylic panels will be installed to reduce the chance of accidentally touching food on the conveyor belt.
Sushiro emphasized that it believes that one-time changes to store operations can help regain public trust. As of press time, it is uncertain if and when similar changes will be implemented in Sushiro’s many Taiwan outlets.
So far, Sushiro in Taiwan has supposedly only been involved in one sanitary dispute, occurring August 2, 2022. According to a post on Whistleblower Commune, diners at a Sushiro branch in Taipei discovered that they were using a previous diner’s chopsticks. About halfway through their meal, they found seaweed residue on their chopsticks.
Sushiro faced another sanitary complaint in August 2022. (Whistleblower Commune Facebook photo)
When this diner went to pay, he asked the cashier to review video footage of the dining room when they discovered that a customer had returned his dirty chopsticks to a container of clean chopsticks, potentially intending to play a prank.
This diner took to Facebook to demand a public apology and a commitment to change the way it dispenses chopsticks. Sushiro did not acquiesce, saying it did nothing wrong, though it offered this individual a NT$2,000 (US$60) gift certificate, which he refused because the restaurant did not make the changes he suggested regarding sanitation.
Sushiro, however, is not without supporters in Taiwan, as some netizens have launched a save Sushiro campaign, actively posting photos of the piles of sushi plates they have consumed, and otherwise sharing adoration for the restaurant chain’s commitment to speedy, low-cost dining.
