Social-media influencers are quickly becoming one of the largest forces in Japan's sushi industry, driving customer traffic at some of the country's most renowned restaurants with the tap of a screen.
Depending on who you ask, such influencers — users of platforms such as Facebook or Instagram who have amassed large followings — are either hypersuccessful individuals with a knack for spotting market trends ... or desperate attention-seekers. Either way, there is no doubt these influential users possess the ability to shift the narrative on the quality of a plate of sushi.
For some, the rise of social-media influencers has been a blessing. A single post can catapult relatively unknown players on the sushi scene to instant fame, allowing businesses to access a wider audience exponentially faster than before.