Japan: Sushi delivery service in Nagoya 'buffs up' its service

M/S Vber Macho CEO Masanori Sugiura preparing sushi, Nagoya
C/U Masanori Sugiura slicing fish
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "My restaurant is called 'Ima Zushi' in Anjo City, Aichi Prefecture. It has been in business for 70 years. I am the third generation to be at the restaurant."
C/U Box of sushi
M/S Masanori Sugiura preparing sushi
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "Since the service has just begun, there are people who make phone calls for fun, so I have received about ten inquiries so far, but I guess that there were just around five that actually asked for delivery."
M/S Masanori Sugiura receiving order
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "My restaurant is making our profit mainly from banquets or party sales, but as the number of party customers was decreasing due to COVID-19, the sales from home delivery service was going up. Then, when I delivered the food by myself, I was often told that my body was amazing, so I wondered if it would be interesting if I took my shirt off."
M/S Masanori Sugiura working out with bottles
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "I'm also a bodybuilder, so right now the bodybuilding competition is gone. In such a situation, I also motivate myself to do strength training and lose weight, so I think that it has a great effect."
M/S Masanori Sugiura showing his muscles
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "I currently run the restaurant, but because of COVID-19, maintaining the restaurant is tough. There are no customers that come to the restaurant. So, I started delivery by macho in this situation, and at first I thought it might be just funny, but now I think that it could be good for society, as customers can be happy even when they are tired of COVID-19."
M/S Masanori Sugiura posing with sushi
SOT, Masanori Sugiura, Vber Macho CEO (Japanese): "The gym is closed right now, and the trainers have no work. So by delivering food together with those people, they are also able to work. So for both the restaurant and fitness club, because they are tired and a little bit down because of COVID-19, I wished I could liven up those places."
C/U Masanori Sugiura posing with sushi
C/U Masanori Sugiura preparing delivery
M/S Masanori Sugiura carrying delivery
M/S Masanori Sugiura arriving at house
M/S Masanori Sugiura introducing himself to customer
M/S Masanori Sugiura posing for customer
SOT, Hiraki, Customer (Japanese): "I didn't expect Macho to come with sushi for my birthday, so it became my good memory. I also want to work hard and become a macho one day. I was able to have a great talk with him and it made for a really good memory."
M/S Customers filming Masanori Sugiura
M/S Customers filming Masanori Sugiura
SOT, Mami Matsuoka, Customer (Japanese): "I think it's very good. It's a time when we can't go out because of COVID-19, even now, so we're enjoying this service, seeing his smiling face, and delivering muscles, a smile and sushi, delicious food. I think this macho service is the best."
M/S Masanori Sugiura saying goodbye
M/S Masanori Sugiura leaving in van
SCRIPT
The Vber Macho sushi delivery service has been raising a lot of eyebrows as well as weights with a unique delivery idea to lighten the mood during the COVID-19 crisis. Vber Macho CEO and avid bodybuilder Masanori Sugiura has been delivering sushi topless and put on a bodybuilding show for his customers.
Footage filmed on Wednesday shows Masanori Sugiura preparing some sushi and delivering it topless to giggling customers as a birthday surprise.
"My restaurant is making our profit mainly from banquets or party sales, but as the number of party customers was decreasing due to COVID-19, the sales from home delivery service was going up. Then, when I delivered the food by myself, I was often told that my body was amazing, so I wondered if it would be interesting if I took my shirt off," explained Masanori Sugiura.
"I think it's very good. It's a time when we can't go out because of COVID-19, even now, so we're enjoying this service, seeing his smiling face, and delivering muscles, a smile and sushi, delicious food. I think this macho service is the best," stated customer Mami Matsuoka.
As an avid bodybuilder and member of the bodybuilding community, Masanori Sugiura has also been using the initiative to help out his fellow bodybuilders. "The gym is closed right now, and the trainers have no work. So by delivering food together with those people, they are also able to work," said the Vber Macho CEO.
Japan as a nation has received praise for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Despite being one of the first nations hit by the crisis and it's large and dense population, there have only been 16,930 confirmed cases which have led to 894 deaths related to the virus.