The internet has given everyone a platform to gain audience and fame. There is a variety of content out there that gets people's attention and popularises the content creator. While some people use this opportunity mindfully, there are some who'll go to any length for traction. This Japanese student posted a bizarre video, which although went viral, also got him flak from the internet. He filmed himself sitting in a Japanese restaurant with a sushi conveyor belt. In an attempt to look funny, he licked a soy sauce bottle and a cup before placing it back on the moving belt. He even touched other customers' sushi passing on the belt, giggling all the while.
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Sushi is one of the most popular foods in Japan. Most of the restaurants serve sushi and other foods on the conveyor belt, which moves across the table, stopping in front of each person for them to pick up their order. The conveyor belt at Sushiro restaurant was at a considerable height giving the student a chance to conveniently hide behind it. The video reportedly went viral with more than 20 million views. But it also sparked outrage on the internet, which forced the blogger to take it down. But it was too late as the same video was saved by other people and was reshared on Twitter.
Watch it here:
Soon after the incident, more such videos surfaced in which the creators could be seen licking their fingers and touching the food at the conveyor belt. One person even picked up and ate sushi from someone else's order. In another restaurant, Hamazushi, a customer dropped wasabi on another customer's sushi while it was passing on the belt.
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All customers expect hygiene when they visit a restaurant. An act like this would certainly break their trust. Following the viral incident, the restaurant told TIME that "As a first-aid countermeasure, for all Sushiro stores in Japan, if a customer feels uneasy about the tableware and seasonings on the table, they can let us know and we will replace them with disinfected ones that are stored separately."
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To prevent such incidents in the future, The Kura Sushi chain reveals that they plan to put covers on their sushi conveyor belt. Meanwhile, Hamazushi restaurant plans to remove its conveyor belts altogether.