There’s a lot of talk lately of foreign “nuisance influencers” plaguing Japan with their obnoxious stunts. So it’s a good time to remember that Japanese people seeking social media notoriety can be just as gross.
Word broke this week that one of Japan’s most well-known beef bowl chains is pursuing charges against two Japanese girls in Osaka for so-called “food terrorism.” It’s the latest in a string of incidents in which young people perform disgusting acts at restaurants to draw attention to themselves on social media.
Japan’s ongoing war against “food terrorism”
The incident occurred at a Sukiya beef bowl store in Osaka on February 1st. Two 16-year-old girls went to the restaurant with the intent of causing controversy for the ‘gram. One girl downed tea directly from a pitcher on their table rather than pouring it into a glass as her friend filmed her and egged her on.
Since both are under age 20, the press is withholding their names. News reports don’t specifically identify the girls’ nationality, either. However, given the native-sounding, fluent Japanese in the video, and the fact that they weren’t specifically identified as foreigners, it’s a safe bet that both are Japanese nationals. (That hasn’t stopped some commenters, of course, from speculating on whether the girls have “Chinese or Korean roots.” Sigh.)
One of the girls uploaded the footage to her Instagram account. (That account appears to have been either deleted or suspended.) From there, it went viral and caught the attention of the chain, which wasn’t amused.
On May 13th, Sukiya said they had officially pressed charges against the pair for obstruction of business, saying the unhygienic act “could endanger other customers.”
“We cannot turn a blind eye to this,” a representative said in a statement. “We will pursue disruptive behavior rigorously.”
Sukiya has other reasons for cracking down on unsanitary behavior. The company found itself in a mess earlier this year when a customer reported they had been served a mouse carcass in their miso soup. The revelation led Sukiya to shut most of its stores temporarily to re-train employees on proper food safety procedures.
Many such incidents
One might be tempted to compare this to the string of incidents in which foreign nuisance influencers behave badly in Japan for the sake of publicity. However, food terrorism has its own long and storied history in Japan.
Unseen Japan was one of the first English outlets to break the “sushi terrorism” story in 2023. In those incidents, young customers smeared wasabi on conveyor belt sushi items and licked communal soy sauce containers.
Before that, Japan was witness to incidents of so-called “part-time terrorism,” in which restaurant workers took behind-the-scenes shots of themselves mishandling food. The most recent of these, in February 2024, led to Domino’s Japan shutting down one of its stores in Hyogo Prefecture.
Given that the two young women in this case are minors, they will likely receive light punishments that won’t become part of their permanent records. Their parents, however, will likely end up paying good money to Sukiya in damages. Hopefully, they learn a valuable lesson from the experience and lead law-abiding and hygienic lives in adulthood.
Discuss this article with other UJ fans on our Bluesky account or Discord server!
Help keep us going
We’re an independent site that keeps our content free of intrusive ads. If you love what we do, help us do more with a donation to the Unseen Japan Journalism Fund in any amount.
What to read next
Does Loving Ramen Make Men in Japan Undateable?
It’s not the greatest turn-off, according to polls. But there’s evidence that being super into Japan’s national noodle dish is a red flag.
Is This Ramen Chain Closing Stores Because It Sucks?
Why is this chain about to close a third of its stores in the Tokyo area? Some fans are blaming its lack of consistency.
Japan’s Teaboo UK Ambassador Gets Grilled Over Crumpet Topping
Hiroshi Suzuki, Japan’s ambassador to the UK, caused a stir when he brought together two British tastes that some insist don’t go together.
Sources
すき家でピッチャーに口つけてお茶飲んだ疑い 少女2人を書類送検. Asahi Shimbun
