Chopsticks Licked 'Nalm'... After Sushi, 'Chopstick Terror' Causes Uproar in Japan

Food Contamination Videos Rapidly Spread on SNS
Restaurant Customers Express Concerns: "Cannot Eat with Confidence"

Incidents of "hygiene terrorism" at local restaurants in Japan continue unabated. From spitting on sushi to now a video showing a man licking chopsticks at a ramen shop has sparked controversy.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 23rd, a video recently posted on social media shows a man at a ramen shop in Dotonbori, Osaka, grabbing a handful of chopsticks from a container, licking them, and then putting them back. The man in the video is seen laughing as if finding it amusing, and the video includes the caption "As expected of hyung (older brother)."

The ramen shop headquarters stated, "We are conducting an investigation into the store in question and will hold the man in the video civilly and criminally responsible in consultation with the police." They also said, "We have conducted a full disinfection of the affected store and are considering providing chopsticks and condiments in sealed packages" as a measure to prevent recurrence.

Meanwhile, in Japan, such acts of contaminating food are being shared on social media under the two-character phrase meaning "prank." At the end of last month, extreme behaviors were exposed at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, such as licking soy sauce bottles on the table, spitting into cups, and then putting them back as if unused, causing public outrage.

Netizens who saw this expressed concerns such as "We cannot eat safely at restaurants anymore" and "Should we carry personal utensils?" Local media report that these videos have increased sharply especially since this year, raising worries about hygiene.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.