The Taiwanese government has warned the public to avoid changing their names too many times just to get free sushi as it could lead to an unwelcomed outcome.
The warning came after several people had legally changed their names to "salmon" to qualify for a free sushi promotion being run by a well-known restaurant.
Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior (MOI) issued a warning to the public on Wednesday, reminding them that they can only legally change their names up to three times. Those that exceed that limit will likely become stuck with the name they had chosen, the ministry warned.
In a post on social media, the MOI said that changing names more than three times is against the law as indicated by the Constitutional Court and the regulations of the Name Act.
The sudden surge of people wanting to change their names came after popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant Akindo Sushiro launched a new free sushi promotion. Under the program, anyone whose name contains the Chinese characters for salmon will be eligible to get a free meal. People whose names are homophonic to salmon are also eligible to get a 50% discount.
According to the company, more than 1,000 people have participated in its promotion and at least 28 people have claimed the free meals. People that wanted the free meals had to present their identity card as proof that their names contained the word "salmon."
One college student told reporters that she had legally changed her name to "Salmon Rice Bowl" to participate in the promo. She told reporters that she planned to change her name back after she visits the restaurant with her friends.
One patron of the restaurant told reporters that he managed to eat $459 worth of sushi together with another friend, who had also changed his name.
According to the Taipei Department of Civil Affairs, the process to change a person's name and get a new identification card is a simple task. People only need to apply for a legal name change and pay a $3 fee for the printing of a new identification card and a household registration certificate.
