"Fukuoka Restaurant Rinses and Reuses Beer Glasses: Korean Tourists Shocked by Japan's Hygiene Practices"

Rinsed with a Sponge and Water, Then Reused
Female Employee's Dishwashing Captured and Shared

Controversy has erupted after a restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan, was caught reusing beer glasses by simply rinsing them with water and a sponge, without using any detergent, after customers had used them.

On August 3, a video showing the kitchen of a restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan, quickly spread across various social networking services (SNS) and online communities.

The author of the post, identified as A, stated, "I thought Japan would not engage in unsanitary behavior, but at a restaurant in Fukuoka, they were washing beer glasses in a filthy way," as they released the video they filmed themselves.

In the video, a female employee is seen placing her sponge-holding hand inside a beer glass still covered in suds and residue, then rinsing it under running tap water from the sink.

Regarding this, A pointed out, "They barely used any detergent and only rinsed with water. They didn't use a dishwasher, and even when there was debris inside the glass, they just rinsed it out and reused it." A further vented their frustration, saying, "I wish that employee would try drinking beer from the cup she just washed."

Netizens and prospective travelers who saw the video expressed their shock. One tourist preparing for a trip to Fukuoka commented, "How can they do the dishes without any detergent?" and admitted, "I'm feeling uneasy about my upcoming trip and am hesitant to go."

Both domestic and overseas netizens criticized, saying, "This is the complete opposite of Japan's reputation for strict hygiene," "It reminds me of the saying 'different outside and inside,'" and "Even if not all restaurants are like this, it's still shocking."

Meanwhile, in December last year, a hygiene controversy also broke out when a video was posted on SNS showing a part-time employee at a restaurant in Minato Ward, Tokyo, eating food with their bare hands that was meant to be served to customers.

The controversial video captured several employees grabbing fried rice with their bare hands just before serving it to customers. It was determined that they engaged in this conduct in an attempt to reduce the portions and turn over tables more quickly.

Afterward, the video was rapidly shared across other platforms and online communities. As the controversy grew, the restaurant in question temporarily suspended operations. There were also reports of "review bombings" on Google Maps, and the restaurant is said to have suffered actual business losses.

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