Previously, the pranks had mostly affected the country’s famous sushi conveyor belt restaurants, prompting questions about their future. A video shared on social media shows a man, believed to be Shimazu, vigorously eating the ginger. Besides Kura Sushi, two other such chains — Sushiro, owned by Food & Life Companies, and Hamazushi — previously told CNN they had suffered similar disruptions. But the latest food pranks, magnified by social media, have sparked fresh debate in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic. In recent weeks, some Japanese social media users have questioned whether conveyor belt sushi restaurants and other communal serving practices can continue as consumers demand more attention to cleanliness.

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