The Conveyor Belt Revolution

A practical guide to kaiten-zushi: the plates, the tablets, and how to eat very well for very little

The first time I sat down at a kaiten-zushi, I ordered too much. Salmon, tuna, more salmon, something with roe that burst against my teeth, a prawn so fresh it still tasted like the ocean. The bill came to ¥1,400. I'd eaten better sushi than most London omakase spots for less than a decent sandwich back home.

Conveyor belt sushi is everywhere in Japan - strip malls, train stations, tucked into shopping centre basements. The format strips away the formality of traditional sushi, replacing reverence with efficiency. Touchscreens instead of itamae. Colour-coded plates instead of market prices. And somehow, it works.

The Sushi Basics

Most confusion at kaiten-zushi comes from not knowing what you're looking at. Here's the quick version:

Nigiri is the classic - a pressed mound of rice with fish draped on top. Eat it in one bite, fish-side down into the soy sauce. The rice should be body-temperature, loose enough to fall apart on your tongue. Maguro (tuna) is clean and metallic. Sake (salmon) is fatty and sweet. Engawa (flounder fin) has a chew that rewards patience.

Maki are the rolls. Thin ones (hosomaki) have a single filling - just tuna, just cucumber. Fat ones (futomaki) layer several ingredients. The inside-out style with rice on the outside came from America, but Japan adopted it anyway.

Gunkan means "battleship" - an oval of rice wrapped in nori with a seaweed wall to hold loose toppings. Ikura (salmon roe) pops between your teeth. Uni (sea urchin) is creamy, briny, divisive. You either get it or you don't.

The Tablet Revolution

At some point, every kaiten-zushi chain installed touchscreen tablets at the tables. They've essentially replaced the conveyor belt as the primary ordering method.

The interface is dead simple. Tap what you want, adjust quantities, hit send. Your order arrives via a separate express lane - either a top track above the main belt or a dedicated train system that stops at your seat.

The tablets track your running total, flag allergens, and let you browse without pressure. No Japanese required - just point and tap.

What Happened to the Belt?

You'll notice fewer plates actually circulating these days. Several incidents in 2023 involving customers tampering with shared items prompted chains to rethink the whole system^[1]. Some added plastic covers. Others reduced what goes on the belt. A few locations converted entirely to order-only service.

The conveyor still runs at most places, but it's become more decorative than functional. The tablet handles the real ordering.

Practical Tips

Getting seated: Check in at the front touchscreen (usually has an English option), wait for your number, find your booth.

Ordering: Everything goes through the tablet. Press the call button if you need staff.

Finishing up: Press the call button again. Staff will count your plates (if any) and direct you to the register or process payment at your seat.

Wasabi: Most nigiri comes without it now. Add from the table dispenser or order "wasabi-ari" (with wasabi) on the tablet if you want it included.

A filling meal runs ¥1,000-2,000. I usually land around ¥1,400 - enough for ten plates plus miso soup.

What to order first: Start with something fatty. Salmon belly (harasu) or medium-fatty tuna (chūtoro) if your budget allows. Your palate adjusts; save the delicate whitefish for later.

What to skip: Anything that's been circling for more than a few minutes. The tablet exists. Use it.

The sleeper hit: Tamago (egg omelette). It sounds boring. It's the test of a good sushi kitchen - sweet, custardy, made in-house. ¥100 and it tells you everything you need to know about the restaurant.