'Sushi terrorist' causes Japanese restaurant stock value to plunge... after filming himself licking a communal soy sauce bottle and touching a piece of food as it goes round on conveyor belt

Sushi terrorist' causes Japanese restaurant stock value to plunge... after filming himself licking a communal soy sauce bottle and touching a piece of food as it goes round on conveyor belt

Teenager licked soy sauce bottle and rim of teacup before putting it back

Video was filmed at a branch of the Sushiro chain in central Japanese city of Gifu
Other videos show customers at other chains putting wasabi on passing sushi

A 'sushi terrorist' caused a Japanese restaurant's stock value to plunge after he filmed himself licking the top of a communal soy sauce bottle and touching a piece of food as it went round on a conveyor belt.

Other videos emerged showing customers at different chains putting wasabi on passing pieces of sushi or licking the spoon in a communal green tea powder container.

Though the incidents appear to be confined to just a few videos, they have caused an uproar in Japan, a country with famously high standards of cleanliness.

'This is sickening,' one Japanese Twitter user wrote in response, with another adding: 'I can't go to conveyor belt sushi restaurants anymore.'

In a statement, Sushiro said the teen behind the viral video had apologised, along with his parents, but that the firm had filed a formal police complaint.

'As a company, we will continue to respond firmly with both criminal and civil cases,' it said.

It said all the soy sauce bottles at the affected store had been replaced and all the cups cleaned, and announced new restaurant policies.

At the Gifu branch and others nearby, customers will now take utensils and condiments to their tables from a serving point, and nationwide, diners will be able to request disinfected tableware.