Ick! Man licks utensils in Japan sushi restaurant, sparks public outrage

A sushi chain in Gifu prefecture in Japan has filed a complaint with the police against a man who posted a viral video of a potentially harmful prank he pulled at one of its restaurants.

In the video now widely posted on social media, the young man licks the rims of teacups and the mouth of a soy sauce bottle shared with other customers in a conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Gifu.

He is also seen putting his saliva on a dish of sushi before it was served to another customer.

The chain’s operator, Akindo Sushiro Co., said it filed a report with police on Jan 31, according to Japanese media.

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While the man and his guardian have since apologised, the company said that is not enough to deter it from taking legal action and that it will pursue both criminal and civil cases. 

The operator said all the teacups in the outlet have since been washed clean and the soy sauce bottles replaced.

The chain also said it is taking measures to prevent a similar occurrence. 

For one, it is now asking customers to pick up tableware and sauce bottles from a specific area in the restaurant instead of placing them at the counter and on tables. 

The problem is spreading outside the sushi trade, too, with a video of a customer eating from a serving spoon at an outlet of udon noodle chain Sukesan Udon making its way online, the chain's operator told Kyodo News on Wednesday.

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