Hundreds of Pizza Doughs 'Nose Picking Swipe'... Domino's Pizza Japan 'Part-Time Job Terror'

Employee makes dough with nose mucus
Domino's Pizza suspends operations at the store
"Will strive to prevent recurrence and restore trust"

A video showing a Domino's Pizza employee in Japan rubbing a hand that had picked their nose on pizza dough has spread, sparking a hygiene controversy.

A Domino's Pizza employee in Japan smearing boogers while making a pizza manjuk.
[Image source=Captured from X (formerly Twitter)]

On the 13th, local Japanese media reported that a video appearing to show a Domino's Pizza employee in uniform picking their nose and smearing boogers on the dough spread on X (formerly Twitter) the previous day, intensifying the hygiene controversy. The video shows an employee wearing a Domino's Pizza uniform digging their nose with a gloved hand and then smearing it directly onto the dough. The person filming the scene reacts with shock but does not stop the employee. Instead, they are seen giggling and laughing together.

As the controversy grew, Domino's Pizza Japan immediately issued an apology on their official account. Domino's Pizza stated, "The person in the video is a part-time employee at a store located in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture," and explained, "The video was filmed inside the store after business hours, and all the dough held at the store has been discarded." They also announced the immediate suspension of the store's operations and said, "The employee who filmed the problematic video will be strictly disciplined according to employment regulations, and legal action is also being considered." They added, "We deeply apologize for causing discomfort to our customers," and promised, "We will do our best to prevent recurrence and restore trust."

Domino's Pizza's prompt statement, issued less than a day after the video spread, is believed to be influenced by the recent series of 'arubate' (part-time job terror) incidents at Japanese restaurant chains. 'Arubate' refers to part-time restaurant employees handling food ingredients intended for customers in an unhygienic manner. In February, a video circulated showing part-time workers at the famous shabu-shabu chain 'Shabuyo' squirting whipped cream directly into their mouths, and last month, controversy arose when footage showed someone pouring liquid from a broth container into their mouth at the grilled fish chain 'Shinpachi Shokudo.'

The 'part-time job terrorism' incidents that occurred consecutively at Japan's famous shabu-shabu chain 'Shabuyo' (left) and grilled fish chain 'Shinpachi Shikdang' (right). [Image source= SNS capture]

Meanwhile, recently in Japan, customers themselves have also been involved in 'hygiene terror.' In February last year, three people were arrested by police for spitting on shared soy sauce bottles and sushi on the conveyor belt at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. At another barbecue restaurant, a video spread showing a man putting a used toothpick back into a shared container, causing a stir.