Video of 'Dipping Sushi in Saliva' Spreads, Causing Trouble... After Much Deliberation, Large Monitors Installed at Each Table

Pilot Introduction of Digital Monitors at 3 Stores
Order by Touching Sushi on the Monitor

Japan's famous conveyor belt sushi franchise 'Sushiro,' which suffered from the so-called 'spit terror' incident, is installing digital monitors on its conveyor belt sushi rails.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (hereafter 'Nikkei'), Sushiro announced on the 27th that it will experimentally introduce digital monitors called 'Digiro' at three stores in Tokyo, Osaka, and other locations. The new service name 'Digiro' is a combination of 'digital' and 'Sushiro.'

At stores equipped with Digiro, large monitors will be installed at each table where customers sit. The monitor screen shows the conveyor belt sushi rail moving, and when customers touch the sushi on the moving rail, the ordered sushi arrives on the actual rail installed below the monitor.

The famous Japanese conveyor belt sushi franchise "Sushiro," which experienced a "spit terror" incident, is introducing a digital monitor ordering system. [Image source: Screenshot from Sushiro website]

The introduction of this new ordering method is rooted in the 'spit terror' incident.

In January, a teenage boy who visited Sushiro in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture, licked a soy sauce bottle used by multiple people. In addition, the boy touched sushi on the conveyor belt with saliva-covered fingers and placed used teacups in the unused section, displaying inconsiderate behavior. He also recorded this behavior on video and posted it on social networking services (SNS), causing a huge uproar.

As the problematic video spread widely, Sushiro suffered a significant blow. Customer numbers dropped sharply across nationwide stores, and the parent company's stock price fell about 5%, wiping out 16 billion yen (approximately 160 billion KRW) in one day. According to Nikkei, Sushiro's domestic sales in Japan from October 2022 to March 2023 decreased by 15% compared to the same period the previous year, and the number of visitors declined by 17%.

In response, Sushiro filed a damages lawsuit for about 67 million yen (approximately 600 million KRW) against the boy in March but withdrew it five months later in August. At that time, Sushiro stated, "The boy acknowledged responsibility and reached a satisfactory settlement." Although the damages lawsuit was withdrawn, the boy was referred to family court on charges of damaging property by contaminating products with saliva and reportedly withdrew from the school he attended.

A Japanese teenage boy is seen licking a soy sauce bottle in a video known as the 'spit terror.' [Image source=Captured from SNS]

Meanwhile, similar 'hygiene terror' incidents have occurred repeatedly in Japan, becoming a social issue. At another Sushiro branch, a male student caused controversy by picking up a spray bottle placed on the table and spraying disinfectant on sushi on the conveyor belt. Additionally, a video circulated showing a man using the conveyor belt sushi chain Joshimaru placing cigarette butts on a ginger plate on the belt. In response, Joshimaru announced it would abandon the conveyor belt operation and switch to an order-based system.