Japan’s ‘sushi terrorism’ rolls on with condom prank at Tokyo eatery

The teenager’s practical joke forced a full disinfection of the restaurant. So‑called sushi terrorism first emerged as a trend in early 2023

A teenager in Japan is facing prosecution over a viral prank involving a condom at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, in what critics are calling the latest case of “sushi terrorism” – a term for social media stunts that have alarmed diners and hurt restaurant reputations.

The 16-year-old boy, whose name has been withheld because of his age, was referred to prosecutors in Tokyo on Monday over the March incident, which took place at a branch of the Kura Sushi chain. He had been dining with five friends when one of them dropped an unwrapped condom into the slot used to collect empty plates while the boy took photographs.

He uploaded an image to social media on the evening of March 28. The post quickly went viral, with online users identifying the restaurant chain and location.

The operator of the outlet contacted police and used security video footage to identify the group behind the prank. Kura Sushi’s management filed an official complaint of obstruction of business, saying it had to disinfect the entire restaurant and handle a flood of customer complaints and inquiries.

During questioning by police, the boy admitted the act, saying, “I wanted to post something funny and see how my friends reacted. I did it without thinking about the consequences,” the Yomiuri reported.

Media coverage has triggered an outpouring of fury on social media, with a message on the Sponichi Annex news website stating: “I’m shocked that he cannot tell right from wrong. The reason, I guess, is simple: the people around this boy are at the same level as him, so they do things like this and find it funny.”

Others said the restaurant operator was right to press charges, with one saying: “Nuisance incidents will never end unless these people know that they will definitely be punished for their actions.”

Some messages on the Asahi website went further, demanding that the authorities name the boy and his parents. “It’s the parents’ fault,” one wrote. “They should have taught their children the kind of problems they could get into if they did something like this.”

So‑called sushi terrorism initially emerged as a trend in early 2023, when a wave of similar pranks triggered national debate about hygiene, etiquette and online fame. One widely condemned case involved a customer licking his finger and then touching another patron’s sushi as it passed on the conveyor belt. That too was recorded and shared online, sparking outrage.

In other incidents, pranksters filmed themselves licking communal utensils, adding excessive wasabi to strangers’ food or tampering with soy sauce bottles and teacups intended for public use. While the acts varied in nature, they shared a common motive – going viral.

The phenomenon has not been confined to sushi establishments. In one case, a diner at a yakiniku restaurant was filmed using a toothpick and returning it to the holder. In another, a convenience store employee was caught on a security camera climbing into a freezer full of ice cream.

Restaurant chains suffered reputational damage after each incident, prompting a broad industry consensus to crack down on such misbehaviour by pursuing legal action against offenders.

Many Japanese, however, appear baffled by the entire trend.

“I don’t understand why people find something like this ‘funny’ and I don’t understand why someone would bother uploading it to the internet,” read a post on the Asahi website. “Do they not know that in the past, this sort of nuisance behaviour has become a serious problem? A little prank can ruin your life.”