A 16-year-old boy, whose name has been withheld because of his age, was referred to prosecutors on Monday in relation to a viral prank involving a condom at a sushi restaurant. The incident occurred at a branch of the Kura Sushi chain in Tokyo’s Toshima ward on March 28. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the teenager uploaded an image of an unwrapped condom his friend put in a chute used to return empty plates on social media. It quickly went viral, with more than 100,000 views in less than 24 hours.
Kura Sushi Restaurant Forced To Briefly Close Following Condom Prank
People online soon identified the restaurant and location. Kura Sushi subsequently closed the shop for a brief period to disinfect all the plates and utensils, while also responding to inquiries about the incident. The police were contacted, and the boy was charged with obstructing business by fraudulent means. Admitting the act, he reportedly told the police, “I wanted to see the reaction from my friends. I posted it without thinking about the consequences.”
Several people took to X to criticize the teenager and his group of friends, including musician and actor Gackt. “In the end, if you’re so obsessed with seeking approval that you can’t see your own foolish actions, you’re missing the point,” posted the former Malice Mizer vocalist. “I’m not saying you have to be a goody-two-shoes, but don’t be a fool. Also, a condom isn’t something you use at a sushi restaurant. Didn’t you learn the proper way to use it in school?”
Image by Anna Petek
Sushi Terrorism
It isn’t the only controversial incident involving a high school student at a sushi chain restaurant in recent years. In January 2023, a video of a 17-year-old boy licking the open top of a soy sauce bottle went viral. After licking the top, he put the rim of an unused teacup in his mouth. It finished with the teenager licking his finger, which he subsequently used to touch some sushi. The clip was reportedly seen close to 40 million times on X (then known as Twitter) before being taken down.
Sushiro filed a lawsuit against the boy for damages of approximately ¥67 million. It said the company suffered a significant decrease in customers as a result of the video. In late July, the two sides reached a settlement. That was one of a number of so-called “sushi terrorism” incidents that occurred around that time. Others included customers placing wasabi on sushi intended for other customers. These incidents caused outrage among the public and negatively affected sales at conveyor belt sushi restaurants.
