Norovirus Detected after 10 at Yakiniku Restaurant in Japan’s Nara Pref. Suffer Food Poisoning; Restaurant Ordered to Suspend Operations for 3 Days

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:11 JST, February 12, 2026

NARA — The Nara prefectural government announced Wednesday that 10 people aged 9 to 70s who ate yakiniku and other dishes at Restaurant Heian in Kashiba City in the prefecture reported symptoms including vomiting and fever. Norovirus was detected in the stool samples of three of them.

None of the patients were seriously ill, and all are recovering. The Chuwa Health Center in Kashihara City in the prefecture ordered the restaurant to suspend operations for three days starting Wednesday.

According to the prefectural government, the Chuwa Health Center received three inquiries on Saturday from people who had visited the restaurant, reporting “food poisoning-like symptoms.” Investigations detected norovirus in the affected individuals and the restaurant’s workers. The affected individuals had no other common meals besides at the restaurant, leading to the conclusion that the food poisoning was caused by the restaurant’s food.