Sushi Train Restaurants in Japan
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Sometimes called conveyor belt sushi, sushi train is another must do eating experience. The trend is catching on, so it is likely you can find a sushi train restaurant in most large cities all over the world. Being from Australia, I know there are many popular sushi train restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne (and I’ve spotted a few in Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast and other places).
Sushi is a very healthy and traditional Japanese food, and eating at a sushi train restaurant in Japan is a great experience. This article will show you what to expect when you visit a sushi train restaurant in Japan.
Fresh sushi, just arrived on the mini bullet train (actually a Nozomi Shinkansen to be precise!).
All sushi train restaurants have a conveyor belt with fresh(ish) sushi travelling around, so you can just snap up whatever you want to eat. However at some sushi train restaurants, they have this very cool actual mini-train that delivers your food fresh from the kitchen, to your table. The one in this photo is a mini bullet train, and our table even has a train station name!
To order specialties from the menu, or fresh sushi which isn’t on the conveyor belt, most sushi train restaurants have a touch screen pad, which you use to order food.
Sushi touch screen ordering device sits on the edge of your table.
Don’t worry if you don’t know much (or any) Japanese, the devices are really easy to use and there is usually an instruction sheet somewhere close-by…
Sushi train touch screen ordering device instructions, this one was right above the device.
So order away! We always do many mini orders (the sushi train can only fit 4 plates!) and keep eating until we have a very high stack of used plates on the table.
Visiting a sushi train restaurant in Japan is a great experience, not only is the sushi fresh and cheap, there are many variations which include western style foods if you’re not too keen on raw fish. There is lots of karage (crumbed meat) dishes, even some mini hot dogs sushi style (i.e. on rice)!
The prices are great! Around half the price of sushi train in Australia!
Sushi train plate prices - our usual order consists 90% of the red and green plates.
And if you don’t have time to sit down and enjoy all this, you can still experience it all when you get takeaway! You will be directed to an area along the conveyor belt which has the touch screen ordering device, as well as plastic takeaway containers.
This article has been submitted for the J∙Festa August 2011 edition, the theme is Food in Japan.
Sushi Train is a great experience and a lot of fun. Thanks for the great write up and sounds so easy that anyone could visit it. My favourite sushi is Nigirizushi with maguro (tuna).
It’s so hard to pick a favourite… perhaps ‘sake’ style, basically anything with salmon!
Salmon is good and really healthy with its omega 3 fatty acids. Got to think about your health some times.
Hrmm perhaps I should stop putting so much Kewpie Mayo on my sushi then!
Probably not a good idea!! How about some soy sauce and wasabi?
Soy and ginger, definitely. I’m not a big wasabi fan.
Huge fan of kaitenzushi here. The only one I’ve found that has the shink train service is in Kyoto. I didn’t realise it was a chain, so I’ll have to keep a lookout for them in other cities now.
Hi VF and thanks for the comment. I am unsure if this was a chain restaurant in Japan. In Australia I do know there are a few different chain restaurants, especially in Sydney.
Adelaide’s getting it’s fair share of sushi train style eateries…. but there’s no comparison with the Japanese variety. Speaking of wasabi… I still remember the last time my family went to a sushi restaurant in Sapporo in April… (based here in Adelaide)… it was fun to see my wife wolf down a piece of sushi as a challenge… it looked loaded with wasabi and was. She just about fainted. An embarrassing situation for a Japanese person.
It?s an outstanding perception to know about Sushi train plate prices and their vital services….. I way you decorate this train restaurants is outstanding….. I like the entire services, products, and their wonderful reputation. Have a good thanksgiving 🙂
Just arrived in Tokyo after traveling to other parts of Japan. Hadn’t come across the Yebisu beer, so will definitely be trying. I think the food and Japanese beer is great. Looking forward to trying a sushi train now we’re in Japan. Happy travels and thanks for the blog.
Hope your having a great time traveling Japan. You can find Yebisu beer in any convenience store – if you’re keen to try it.
And yeah that’s one of the things I love most about Japan – the food and drink! A night out isn’t as expensive when compared to Australia.
i am fan of the japanese bullet train and overall technology. commendable mental approach to do the typical assigned work. japanese food health art living style and all the related items to the life are much appreciated.
i want to go to Japan but have not money too much. i am working in university of veterinary and animal sciences, lahore pakistan