Kaiten (Conveyor Belt) Sushi


2017.03.13

NAVITIME TRAVEL EDITOR

Kaiten (Conveyor Belt) Sushi
  • 01

    Quick and easy, but choose carefully

    Japan is the land of sushi, but it’s not all fancy and expensive sushi shops as you might imagine. In the last decade, it’s actually become “fast food” in many ways thanks to kaiten (revolving) sushi shops that have spread around the country, and feature plates of sushi brought directly to you on a conveyor belt. These can be a great experience, and easy on the wallet with the right choices.

    Quick and easy, but choose carefully

    Quick and easy, but choose carefully

  • 02

    Different types of shops

    These days there are a variety of different types of shops for different budgets, but most are designed for speed and convenience.

    Fast & Cheap: Some chain shops now have almost no staff now, and rely entirely on automated menus and assembly-line production in the back. You won’t see them, but the rice is even packed into shape by robots!

    Mid to high-end: This scales quite a bit, but there are quite nice shops that have conveyor belts, but also have sushi chefs in the center preparing the fish in front of you. This is a great experience, but harder to order than with a digital screen. The fish here is usually of higher quality and you can feel comfortable spending a bit more time inside.

    Family Style: Outside of downtown areas you’ll find very large sushi shops catering to families, with booth seating as well as counter seating. Often featuring digital menus, some shops like Kura Sushi actually have games you can win prizes with. Just be careful when going during peak hours, because they can be packed with kids!

    Different types of shops

    Different types of shops

  • 03

    How to Order

    It depends on the shop, but there are three usual ways of ordering:

    Digital menu: Often has an English interface and is very clear on how to order. Choose what you want, and the plate will come right to you. In some shops you’ll hear an alarm as your plate is going near.

    Shout it out: When the chefs are in the center you just need to tell them what you want. This can be intimidating at first, but just get their attention and let them know. They’ll be helpful even though they look busy.

    Write it down: Some shops require you to write what you want on a piece of paper and hand it to them, but if you aren’t sure what to do just ask the staff. Often it’s easier to just tell them verbally or point at the menu.

    How to Order

    How to Order

  • 04

    System

    Each dish has a different price, which is denoted by the color and design of the plate it comes on. You can find a chart that outlines the pricing structure, but generally the fancier the plate the more expensive it is! If you’re ordering with a digital menu you’ll find the prices on the menu itself.

    When you’re finished just tell the table staff that you’re done and they’ll tally up the bill. Usually they’ll just calculate by the color of the plates, but sometimes they even scan the plates with an RFID reader to count automatically. If you find yourself in the Sushiro chain, you actually drop the plates in a slot in the table when you’re finished, plus every five plates lets you play a game to win prizes! Not exactly your average trip to the sushi bar back home.

    System

    System

    無添くら寿司 品川駅前店
    place
    東京都港区港南2-17-1 京王品川ビル2F
    phone
    03-6718-5610
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