When it comes to famous Japanese food, sushi is at the top of the list.
Sushi is also popular among foreign tourists, and they often eat it in town when they visit Japan.
It’s likely that tourist guidebooks include information about sushi restaurants, and visitors go to those places. However, the restaurants listed in guidebooks are not always the ones frequented by locals; they may be targeting tourists instead.
So, what kind of sushi restaurants do local Japanese people go to?
While there are high-end sushi restaurants in various areas, not everyone can afford them or has the opportunity to visit them regularly.
This time, let me introduce some well-known chain restaurants that are reasonably priced and located throughout Japan. These are popular among average-income families and students and are well-known to almost all Japanese people.
These four are names that virtually every Japanese person knows. Among them, Sushiro is the largest chain.
Personally, I like Hama Sushi. It wasn’t very common in the past, but I feel like the number of its stores has been increasing recently. The prices are low, and the sushi is very delicious.
These restaurants fall under the category of “kaitenzushi” (conveyor belt sushi). In the past, sushi plates were placed on a rotating conveyor belt, and customers would take the plates of sushi they wanted as they passed by.
Although this system compromises freshness, it allows customers to enjoy sushi at a reasonable price. In everyday conversations, saying something like, “Let’s go for sushi that doesn’t rotate,” implies going to a high-end sushi restaurant.
Nowadays, at kaitenzushi restaurants, customers often order their favorite sushi directly from touch panels at their seats instead of waiting for the sushi to come around. Due to concerns about freshness and hygiene, this direct-ordering method has become mainstream. The sushi ordered via touch panels is delivered to the customer using a conveyor belt. Additionally, some restaurants have eliminated the rotating conveyor entirely and operate solely with the direct-ordering system.
Even though some restaurants no longer have rotating conveyors, large stores offering affordable sushi are still generally categorized as kaitenzushi.
The price range for sushi at these restaurants depends on the topping, but typically a plate of two pieces of sushi costs between 100 yen and 500 yen. Since the main target audience is families and younger people, there are plenty of options priced around 100 to 200 yen. These restaurants also offer a variety of items like french fries, desserts, and juices that children love.
In these establishments, sushi rice (shari) is usually shaped by machines, and part-time or casual staff place slices of fish on top. This ensures that the taste is consistent across locations of the same chain. Whether good or bad, the flavors are stable, and you can always count on them to be reliably tasty.
There is also another kaitenzushi chain called Nigiri Chojirou. This restaurant, like the four mentioned above, falls under the kaitenzushi category because of its large-scale stores. However, it stands out because the sushi rice is hand-shaped by sushi chefs, and the quality of the toppings is higher. It’s a slightly more upscale kaitenzushi restaurant. While it’s a bit more expensive, it’s not prohibitively so. Families often visit this type of restaurant when they want to enjoy a slightly more luxurious sushi experience.
Apart from these, there are other kaitenzushi chains, but the ones listed above are the most representative.
As for “non-conveyor belt sushi”, or high-end sushi restaurants, these are usually not chain stores but rather well-known local establishments in each area. If you want to visit such places, you can find plenty of information in magazines or online to locate nearby restaurants. However, these establishments are often expensive and may not be suitable for families with young children.
(Super high-end restaurants may not even be listed in magazines. Without an introduction from someone, it might be impossible to dine there, as they cater to celebrities and the wealthy.)
Therefore, for most Japanese people, sushi is something they typically buy from supermarkets to eat at home or enjoy at the aforementioned kaitenzushi chains. The prices are affordable, yet the sushi is delicious. Of course, if you spend more money, you can enjoy even tastier sushi, but there’s no end to how much you can spend. Many Japanese people rarely go to such places.
That being said, there are non-conveyor belt sushi restaurants that are slightly more expensive than kaitenzushi yet still very delicious. However, these restaurants are often so popular that you may need a reservation or have to wait in line for a long time to get in.
If you see one of the famous kaitenzushi chains during your visit to Japan, why not give it a try and experience the taste of everyday sushi for Japanese people?