JAPN Sushi Guide Japan: From Conveyor Belt to Omakase
Sushi Guide Japan: From Conveyor Belt to Omakase
Types of Sushi Dining
Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) at chains like Sushiro, Kura Sushi, and Hamazushi serves plates of two pieces for 110 to 330 yen, ordered via tablet at your seat and delivered on a dedicated express lane. Quality at the major chains genuinely surprises most visitors, using fresh fish and properly seasoned rice. Standing sushi bars (tachigui-zushi) near fish markets offer quick, affordable sushi eaten at a counter without seating. Midori Sushi in Shibuya and Umegaoka draw hour-long queues for high-quality sushi at mid-range prices.
Omakase (chef’s choice) at high-end sushi restaurants provides 15 to 20 courses of nigiri and sashimi selected by the itamae based on what arrived freshest at the market that morning. Prices range from 10,000 to 50,000 yen for dinner. Sukiyabashi Jiro, made famous by the documentary, requires months of advance booking. The counter seats put you directly in front of the chef, who shapes each piece and places it on your plate with the expectation that you eat it within seconds while the rice retains body temperature.
Sushi Etiquette and Tips
Nigiri can be eaten with hands or chopsticks; both are correct. Dip the fish side into soy sauce, not the rice, which absorbs too much and falls apart. Gari pickled ginger cleanses the palate between different fish types. Wasabi is already applied by the chef at omakase counters, making additional wasabi unnecessary and potentially insulting. At conveyor belt restaurants, these rules relax entirely. Lunch sets (ranchi) at high-end sushi restaurants often serve comparable fish at 3,000 to 5,000 yen, a fraction of dinner omakase prices, making them the best value for quality sushi.
Types of Sushi Restaurants
Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt) chains like Sushiro, Kura Sushi, and Hamazushi serve plates at 110 to 330 yen each, with quality that surprises first-time visitors expecting budget compromises. Touch screens at each seat allow ordering specific items delivered by rail directly to your position. Mid-range sushi restaurants with counter seating serve omakase (chef’s choice) courses at 3,000 to 8,000 yen for lunch and 8,000 to 15,000 yen for dinner. High-end omakase at places like Sukiyabashi Jiro and its peers runs 20,000 to 50,000 yen per person. Standing sushi bars (tachigui-zushi) near fish markets and stations serve surprisingly good quality at kaiten prices with the added atmosphere of watching the chef work. Tsukiji Outer Market still concentrates the densest collection of sushi restaurants, while Toyosu Market’s visitor restaurants offer limited but high-quality options at 7 AM.
Sushi Etiquette
Nigiri sushi is traditionally eaten by hand, not chopsticks, though either is acceptable. Dip the fish side into soy sauce rather than the rice side, which absorbs too much liquid and falls apart. Eat nigiri in one bite. Gari pickled ginger cleanses the palate between different fish, not eaten together with sushi. Wasabi is already applied between the fish and rice at proper sushi restaurants, making additional wasabi from the table unnecessary and potentially insulting to the chef. At omakase counters, eat each piece promptly after the chef places it before you, as sushi is prepared to be consumed immediately at optimal temperature. The progression typically moves from lighter white fish to richer fatty tuna and sea urchin, with egg (tamago) often served last as a palate-finishing dessert course. Complimenting specific pieces tells the chef what you enjoyed.
For the best value, visit sushi restaurants for lunch rather than dinner: the same chef using the same fish charges roughly half the dinner price for a midday omakase course. Many acclaimed sushi restaurants offer lunch sets at 2,000 to 5,000 yen that would cost 8,000 to 15,000 yen in the evening.
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This content is for informational purposes only and reflects independent research. Details may change — verify current information before making travel plans.