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The operator of a major Japanese conveyor-belt sushi chain is suing a high school student for 67 million yen (S$645,000) in damages, Japan’s public broadcaster reported.

This was after the customer posted a prank video on social media that showed him licking his finger then touching a plate of sushi as it passed him on the conveyor belt.

The Osaka-based company claims the video hurt its business and share price.

The video led to a significant drop in customers nationwide, the company also said, and it suffered a loss of more than 16 billion yen (S$154 million).

Akindo Sushiro Co., which runs the Sushiro restaurant chain, claims to have suffered a sharp fall in customers after the footage of the teen's actions at a Sushiro outlet in the city of Gifu went viral.

The customer was seen licking a soy sauce bottle as well in the chain's Gifu City restaurant in central Japan in January 2023.

The company said the prank offended many of its customers, and damaged their trust in its restaurant hygiene.

In response, the prankster's representatives replied in a written submission to the court asking for the complaint to be dismissed.

The phenomenon is considered a social problem, as plenty of videos of pranks by customers have been posted online in Japan, it was reported.

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