Conveyor belt sushi Japan: order, eat and pay

JGO! editorial team — WEBMARKS Inc. (Fujisawa, Kanagawa)

Conveyor belt sushi is a practical way to try a range of sushi and other menu items, but each restaurant’s setup and prices can differ. Before you go, choose a branch, check its menu and opening information, and note how that restaurant handles reservations and seating. At Kura Sushi, the official guide covers the visit from check-in through checkout; Sushiro’s official tools let you look up branch information and menus.

A useful distinction is between food moving past seats on a conveyor and food ordered for delivery to your table. At Kura, items you order arrive on an order lane. Follow the instructions at your chosen restaurant rather than assuming that every plate or lane works the same way across chains.

The restaurant matters more than a price remembered from a video or an old article. A menu selected for one Sushiro branch, for example, is not a price list for every branch or another chain. The practical sequence is to check the branch, check in as directed, order from the menu or screen, follow the restaurant’s instructions for plates, and complete checkout before leaving.

1. Choose a chain and branch

Kura and Sushiro are useful examples for first-time visitors because their official information answers different practical questions. Kura’s first-visit guide describes its reservation, check-in, table equipment, ordering, plate-return and checkout steps. Sushiro’s FAQ and branch-specific menu search help you check information for the restaurant you plan to visit.

The official information linked here was checked on 4 November 2026. Prices, opening hours and closure days are not stated here as nationwide figures because no branch has been selected, and restaurants can differ. Before travelling, save the branch name and open its own menu or listing; this is especially useful if you need to fit the meal around another reservation.

For Sushiro, the branch search supports keyword searches and includes filters for elevator access, parking and diaper-changing sheets. Its FAQ says wheelchair-compatible branches can be identified through the store search. Use the branch-level information for the particular restaurant rather than treating a chain-wide description as confirmation about every location.

For a visual introduction to the restaurant format, Kosuke shows Japan’s “How to Enjoy Sushi in Japan” includes a Sushiro visit. A video can help you recognise the setting, but it does not establish the current menu, price, booking availability or opening time at the branch you plan to visit.

2. Check in and find your seat

At Kura, making a reservation is not the same as checking in when you arrive. The official guide instructs visitors to use the automatic reception machine, enter the reservation number, and take the slip showing the seat number. Follow the slip to that seat and keep it until checkout is complete.

A simple arrival sequence is:

1. Make a reservation through Kura’s official reservation page or app if you want to reserve a date and time.
2. At the restaurant, use the automatic reception machine and enter the reservation number when prompted.
3. Take the issued slip, check the seat number printed on it, and go to that seat.
4. Keep the slip available: Kura’s self-checkout uses it later in the payment process.

The reservation number and the seat number have different jobs. The reservation number is used at the reception machine to check in; the seat number on the issued slip tells you where to sit. If the machine or slip is unclear, show it to a staff member before settling at a table, rather than guessing which seat is yours.

Keep the slip somewhere accessible during the meal. It is easy to set aside while looking at the menu or clearing plates, but Kura’s checkout instructions require you to scan it at the self-checkout. Do not treat plate return as the last step of the visit.

For another view of a conveyor-belt-sushi dining room, DancingBacons’ “Eating at a Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant in Osaka” offers visual context. A video may show one restaurant’s layout, while the reception slip and staff instructions at your own branch are the relevant directions for finding your seat.

3. Order and use the table equipment

At Kura, you can order from the touchscreen or use your phone to open the ordering page by scanning the code displayed at the table. Ordered items arrive on an order lane. Choose whichever ordering method lets you read the item details and review your selection clearly; the two options do not mean you have to use both.

Use the current menu or ordering screen to check the name, price and description of an item before selecting it. A photograph can help you recognise a dish, but a creator’s meal or an old video is not a reliable source for the current price or ingredients. If you have a question about a dish, check the restaurant’s information before ordering or ask staff.

Kura’s guide says that chopsticks, soy sauce, sweet sauce and powdered green tea are stored at the table. Its soy dispenser is used by tilting it and pressing the top. You can add wasabi according to your preference, and make tea by adding hot water from the table’s dispenser to the powdered green tea.

These are Kura-specific instructions, not a promise that another chain stores or dispenses everything in the same way. Look at the equipment and directions at your own seat before using a dispenser. In particular, identify the hot-water outlet before making tea and distinguish it from the sauce dispenser.

The table’s ordering system also helps separate ordered dishes from food moving around the restaurant. At Kura, the guide says that ordered items arrive on an order lane; follow the restaurant’s directions for receiving them. Do not assume that a dish you ordered will be collected in the same way as a plate you take from a conveyor.

For more visual context, Dig Dig JAPAN’s “Sushiro Digiro” and CupofTJ’s “Tokyo’s Largest Sushi Train Experience” show dining-room perspectives. Their scenes can help you become familiar with the general setting, but the menu and instructions at your chosen restaurant are the useful sources for what to order and how to receive it.

4. Check prices, plates and payment

There is no single price list that applies to every conveyor-belt-sushi restaurant in Japan. Sushiro’s official menu search asks you to select a branch before viewing its menu, so start with the location you intend to visit. Check the displayed price and description for each item rather than relying on a remembered “starting price” from another place or date.

For a simple budget, write down the items you intend to order, their displayed prices and the number of portions. Add the subtotals, then include any drinks and side dishes you plan to buy. This gives you a total based on the menu available at your chosen branch, without needing to assume a nationwide plate price.

Sushiro’s FAQ says that product calories are displayed per plate. If calorie information is relevant to your choice, check the information for the items you are considering rather than estimating from a photograph. The FAQ also directs visitors to Sushiro’s official allergen information; calorie information and allergen information answer different questions, so check the appropriate one for your needs.

At Kura, the official guide says to put eligible finished sushi plates into the plate slot. It also says that the Bikkura Pon game starts after five sushi plates. Follow the restaurant’s instructions about which plates go into the slot; do not assume that every container or piece of tableware belongs there.

When you are ready to leave Kura, use the checkout operation on the screen and follow the displayed instructions at the self-checkout. Scan the seating slip as directed and complete the payment process before leaving. Returning eligible plates and paying are separate steps.

Two videos offer additional examples of different visits: Grif’s Food and Travel’s “Conveyor Belt Sushi in Tokyo” visits a Ginza restaurant, while BlueBananas’ first Sushiro visit presents a Chinese-language audience perspective. Treat them as views of particular meals, not as current price lists or checkout instructions for your destination.

Access, facilities and ingredients

Use Sushiro’s branch search and menu tools before setting out if you need to check access or facilities. The search includes filters for elevator availability, parking and diaper-changing sheets, and Sushiro’s FAQ says wheelchair-compatible branches can be identified through its store search. Check the specific branch rather than assuming that a facility listed for one location is available everywhere.

Sushiro’s FAQ says children’s chairs and diaper-changing facilities are provided. Because your visit depends on the actual restaurant, check the branch information and ask the restaurant if you need to confirm a particular facility before travelling. The search filters can help narrow down locations, but they do not answer every question about a group’s needs.

For ingredients, consult Sushiro’s official allergen information before ordering. Check the information for the item you intend to eat; an accessible restaurant does not establish whether a particular dish suits your dietary requirements. A familiar-looking topping, menu photograph or creator’s video is not enough to identify every ingredient.

5. Manners and practical questions

Japan’s National Tourism Organization (JNTO) says not to return a plate to the conveyor after taking it. Decide whether you want an item before picking it up, and follow the restaurant’s directions for food ordered to your seat. The guidance about returning a plate concerns food taken from the lane; at Kura, use the designated slot for eligible finished sushi plates as described in its own guide.

You do not have to use chopsticks to eat sushi. JNTO says it can also be eaten by hand, and its dining-etiquette guide explains that the oshibori offered before eating is for wiping your hands. Use table equipment for its intended purpose, and ask staff if you are unsure about a plate, container or dispenser.

Sushiro says all of its seats are nonsmoking, including for electronic and heated tobacco products. Its FAQ permits guide dogs, assistance dogs and hearing dogs, and asks visitors not to bring other pets. Check the selected restaurant’s information if you need to confirm a specific access or facility detail.

JNTO says tipping is normally unnecessary in Japan. It also advises avoiding strong perfume around sushi because it can affect the taste of the food and other diners’ experience. These simple considerations help keep the meal comfortable without requiring special dining knowledge.

Do I need a reservation?

It depends on the chain and branch. Kura offers smartphone reservations for a selected date and time, as well as a web option that does not require its app. Sushiro accepts seat reservations through its smartphone app at most branches, with some exceptions, and says it does not take seat reservations by telephone.

Can I go to Sushiro without knowing which menu to choose?

Yes; check the menu for the branch you plan to visit, then choose from the items displayed there. Sushiro’s official menu tool requires you to select a restaurant before viewing its menu, so a general menu or an old video may not reflect the location you will use. Check item descriptions and the official allergen information if you need ingredient details.

Can I take a plate from the conveyor?

JNTO advises not to put a plate back after you have taken it, so choose before picking it up. Follow the restaurant’s own instructions for items ordered to your seat, which may arrive separately on an order lane. If you are uncertain whether a dish is available to take or has been ordered for someone, check the restaurant’s directions or ask staff.

Can I eat sushi with my hands?

Yes. JNTO says sushi can be eaten with your hands as well as with chopsticks. The oshibori offered before eating is a hand towel, so use it to wipe your hands rather than as a general table cloth.

How do I check wheelchair access or family facilities?

For Sushiro, use the branch search to identify wheelchair-compatible locations and check the available filters for elevators and diaper-changing sheets. Sushiro’s FAQ also lists children’s chairs and diaper-changing facilities. Confirm the details for the branch you intend to visit rather than assuming every location has identical facilities.

Where should I check allergens and calories?

Use Sushiro’s official allergen information to check ingredients relevant to your needs, and consult the selected branch’s menu for the item you plan to order. Sushiro’s FAQ says calories are displayed per plate. These checks are item-specific; do not use a menu photograph or another diner’s order as a substitute.

What if I am unsure how to use a table device or plate slot?

Follow the instructions displayed at your seat and check the restaurant’s guide for the chain you are visiting. At Kura, the guide explains the soy dispenser, tea preparation, ordering methods and the slot for eligible finished sushi plates. If an item or device is unclear, ask staff rather than putting an unrecognised container into the slot or using a dispenser by guesswork.

How do I finish a Kura meal?

Use the checkout operation on the ordering screen, then scan your seating slip at the self-checkout and follow the displayed process. The slip is issued at check-in, so keep it throughout the meal. Returning plates does not complete the payment step.