Hotel sues student for $480,000 for licking soy sauce bottle

Sushiro, a sushi chain in Japan, has filed a lawsuit against a high school student seeking 67 million yen ($480,000) in damages. The student was captured on social media footage licking his finger and touching a plate of sushi as it passed by on a conveyor belt at a Sushiro outlet in the city of Gifu. The incident went viral, leading to a significant decline in customers for the restaurant chain.

Akindo Sushiro, the operator of Sushiro restaurants, claims that the release of the video caused a sharp decrease in its customer base. The footage also showed the student licking a soy sauce bottle and placing it back among communal items. The incident contributed to the emergence of the term "sushi terrorism," which refers to unhygienic actions at sushi train restaurants where customers select dishes from conveyor belts.

The lawsuit was filed by Akindo Sushiro Co. at the Osaka District Court. The company alleges a loss of approximately 16 billion yen ($115 million) following the video's release, which resulted in a substantial drop in customers and a decline in its parent company's stock value.

The student's legal counsel responded to the complaint by admitting the act and expressing regret but contested the causal link between the student's actions and the decline in customers. They suggested that the competitive nature of the industry could be a contributing factor to the restaurant chain's loss of business.

Akindo Sushiro Co. refrained from providing further details about the case due to its ongoing appeal. The company emphasised its commitment to maintaining a relationship of trust with customers and stated its readiness to take stringent measures, both criminal and civil, against any conduct that undermines that trust.