12 Facts You Didn't Know About Conveyor Belt Sushi

Japan is home to many types of fast food. However, if you want seafood for an affordable price, look no further than conveyor belt sushi, or as it's called in The Land of the Rising Sun, "kaiten zushi." The inventive all-you-can-eat concept was introduced in the 1950s and has since grown to become one of the country's most popular restaurant types. It's a simple, yet ingenious idea; sushi is delivered to patrons on an endless rotating belt and they pay based on how many plates they pile up. The quality isn't Jiro Ono-level, but the affordability and interactive elements make it a unique experience.

Today, thousands of conveyor belt sushi restaurants exist in Japan and hundreds worldwide. It's a culinary phenomenon that even snooty sushi lovers enjoy. Limitless sushi and low prices only scratch the surface of the conveyor belt restaurant experience, though. From its origin to its etiquette and innovative technology, there are a lot of fun facts you likely don't know about one of Japan's favorite fast foods.

Conveyor belt sushi was created by Yoshiaki Shiraishi, who introduced it in Osaka, Japan at his first Genroku Sushi restaurant location. Described as a "sushi-go-round," Shiraishi's invention goes by many names, including rotation and rotary sushi. Interestingly, Asahi beer may have inspired him to invent the concept, or at least that's one rumor. The restaurant's official website doesn't mention a specific brand but does confirm that beer factories sparked the idea. Shiraishi borrowed the process of using belts to transport bottles throughout the brewery during production. He believed it could streamline serving sushi, making it more efficient while reducing reliance on additional staff. 

After taking over a decade to develop a sushi version of the technology, he opened the world's first kaiten zushi restaurant in 1958. Its inventive yet affordable approach fit perfectly with Osaka's food scene, which is known as the hotbed of Japanese cuisine. Locals popularly refer to it as the "kitchen of Japan." Shiraishi had 250 kaiten zushi restaurants across the country at his peak, per The New York Times. Along with pioneering the conveyor concept, he also came up with the idea of charging customers based on the number of plates and their color, and the automatic green tea dispenser.

Yoshiaki Shiraishi's new restaurant concept was initially slow to take off. He toiled for over 10 years before a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity changed the trajectory of conveyor belt sushi forever. The year was 1970 and the opportunity was the Japan World Expo in Osaka. Upstarts from 77 different countries flocked to show off their wares, and like them, Shiraishi seized the moment. There was a total of 64 million attendees, to give you a sense of the size.

After presenting his conveyor belt sushi technology, Shiraishi's idea took flight. Along with low prices, sushi, which was considered a luxury food, could now be accessible to everyone. Conveyor belt sushi swiftly became all the rage, spreading throughout Japan, and in time, the world. The rest, as they say, is history. Shiraishi passed away in 2021 at 87, yet his legacy lives on. Genroku Sushi is still serving happy customers conveyor style.

In 1981, Suzumo Machinery launched the world's first automated sushi robot "The Nigiri Machine." Following the blueprint of mechanized confection-making, it took 4 years to automate the process of forming sushi rice into rice balls. The company also consulted experienced chefs to ensure the quality matched that of traditional handmade sushi.

To operate the machine, rice is loaded into a hopper (a type of funnel), which separates it into pre-determined quantities. The rice is then dropped onto a conveyor belt and transferred to a two-step compressor that molds it into nigiri. Initially, the machine wasn't received well by sushi restaurants, presumably because Japan is big on upholding traditions. In time, however, many began to see the benefits — namely, how sanitary it was compared to sushi handled by human hands. 

Suzumo's nigiri machine eventually made its way into conveyor belt sushi restaurants, helping to modernize the sushi industry in Japan. Today, the company still manufactures automated sushi machines. Japan's Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded the original nigiri machine a Certificate of Mechanical Engineering Heritage in 2021, which is on display at Suzumo's headquarters in Tokyo.

Self-service is a big part of the experience. As such, there are basic rules of etiquette you must know for conveyor belt sushi. Rules put into place to ensure everyone can enjoy tasty sushi in a sanitary environment. Always follow the golden rule of restaurant dining: wash your hands. The conveyor belt rotates sushi from table to table, meaning that it passes other customers before reaching you. It should go without saying that grabbing plates with unclean hands is a no-no.

Next, only pick up the plates that you plan to eat. Touching or lifting one and setting it back on the conveyor is a huge etiquette fail. Just imagine grabbing a plate previously touched by someone else, who may or may not have washed their hands. Sometimes custom orders marked for certain individuals are also sent down the conveyor belt. If a special dish comes down the conveyor that is reserved for another, please don't take it for yourself. Some restaurants serve special orders on a separate conveyor belt to avoid confusion.

Additionally, you should grab just one plate at a time. Despite being an all-you-can-eat-style restaurant, greediness is frowned upon. And lastly, to make it easier for the staff to calculate your bill, take the extra step of organizing your plates according to color.

Food safety is particularly important at conveyor belt sushi restaurants. Raw seafood naturally contains microorganisms that may cause harm. They are especially susceptible to pathogens as well. Unlike sushi buffets, which place food in designated areas, conveyor sushi is often exposed as it travels from table to table, increasing the chances of cross-contamination. To lower the risks, restaurants employ several methods. First, the interior and exterior of conveyor belts must be cleaned thoroughly each day, per Conveyor Sushi.

Making sure that the sushi plates on the belt stay fresh throughout service is of the utmost importance. One method used to keep track of freshness are RFID (Radio-frequency Identification) tags; small devices that store information and notify workers in real-time. RFID tags can inform staff of contamination, where an item is located, maintenance issues, and more. Another way that restaurants reduce contamination is by covering plates before placing them on the conveyor, though not all locations do this. 

As mentioned, Yoshiaki Shiraishi contributed considerably to the modernization of sushi restaurants. Fifteen years after his conveyor technology revolutionized the scene, he introduced his next innovation: Automatic green tea dispensers. Now a staple fixture of the kaiten zushi self-service experience, previously, staff would bring it to the table. In Japan, green tea is one of the most popular drinks, enjoyed for taste, health benefits, and sometimes caffeine. It's been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries and is often paired with food.

Green tea dispensers, also known as drink fillers, are built into the tables for customers to use at their leisure. There is typically no cost to use them. The spigot-style dispensers have a rubber push-down handle and stopper pad that helps you properly position your glass below the opening. They don't actually dispense tea though, only hot water. The restaurant provides either green tea powder or bags for you to brew your own. Powder or bags are generally put into the cup before hot water is added. The green tea powder may come in a shaker or a small container with a spoon.

Since changing the landscape of sushi and becoming a global phenomenon, the kaiten zushi restaurant experience has evolved. Chains now use touch screens for enhanced self-service and even have upscale options and desserts. Touchscreen ordering is more common today than simply grabbing a plate from the conveyor. Customers can order the menu item they want rather than settling for whatever's on the belt. You'll find up to 100 different sushi styles at some places, including non-traditional ones like hamburgers or corn with mayonnaise. 

Others don't even carry food on conveyor belts anymore, just images of the options attached to plates that you can order with your tablet. Virtual conveyor belts are becoming a thing as well, displayed across large LED screens. What's more, pricey conveyor belt sushi spots exist now, too. They won't hit your pockets like traditional stand-up ones but don't be surprised if end up spending over $100 per person. Conveyor belt sushi restaurants have come a long way since 1958, solidifying them as one of the best types of Japanese restaurants.

Traditional buffets typically have a straightforward pricing system, simply pay a set fee and enjoy all you can eat. Conveyor belt sushi restaurants, however, have a slightly more complicated one. Yoshiaki Shiraishi devised a clever way to streamline his invention without confusing customers. He created a color code system that priced plates according to color. That way, servers could easily calculate the total based on the number of plates and customers could keep better track of their order.

Although exceptions exist, prices for conveyor belt sushi typically range from 100 to 500 yen, according to Samurai Tours. For example, Sushiro Nishiguchi in Shinjuku sells white-colored plates for 100 yen, yellow for 150 yen, and red plates at 210 yen. Special orders cost extra, of course, and occasionally you'll find a place that offers secret menu items. That said, most places use the color code system.

From touchscreen ordering to self-service green tea, kaiten zushi restaurants are all about automation. The efficient way plates are cleaned is even automated. Methods vary, but one common way restaurants eliminate plate pile-up is with an automated conveyor system that transports dirty dishes into a machine connected to the kitchen. Customers simply load plates one by one into the slot at their table, the machine pulls them in, scans the barcode to calculate the order total, and then zips them into the washer. It's an ingenious process that helps to streamline the entire experience for not only customers but for staff as well.

Slate highlighted the futuristic process in 2015, showcasing how the conveyor slot for dirty dishes runs below the main conveyor belt into a massive machine that cleans 1800 dishes per hour, which totals 20,000 plates per day. They are then moved to another conveyor that sends them back into the food preparation area. Ultraviolet light sterilization is another popular cleaning method. Unlike water, it's low cost, requires no chemicals, doesn't impact the temperature of foods, kills most microorganisms, and works on solids, liquids, and non-food items. 

The popularity of Yoshiaki Shiraishi's 1958 invention outgrew the culinary world and now inspires all forms of entertainment. Video games recreate the conveyor experience, allowing kaiten zushi-lovers to play customers tasked with securing certain plates within a time limit, workers challenged with replacing plates on the conveyor, or sushi masters in charge of inventory. And, that's just one style of conveyor belt sushi video game. The popular online gaming platform Roblox even caught the sushi bug. Its Conveyor Sushi Restaurant game lets you invite real-life friends to eat virtual nigiri.

Rotation sushi has appeared in the anime Gintama as well. Characters Kondo and Hijikata visit a restaurant, only for Hijikata to be humorously insulted by a message attached to one of the rotating plates. From manga to plushies, toy sets, and even fashion, conveyor belt sushi has become an iconic piece of pop culture.

In 2023, things took a turn for the unsanitary no thanks to the infamous "sushi terrorist" TikTok trend. Japanese teens thought it would be a good idea to break one of the golden rules: Touching plates and food, then placing them back on the belt. Whether a ploy for attention or simply youthful rebelliousness, the disturbing trend ultimately impacted Japan's sushi economy. Apparently, sushi terrorism stems from an odd Japanese trend called "baito tero" where part-time workers record themselves performing inappropriate acts while at work and upload it to social media, per Japan Times.

Sushi terrorists were secretly licking, touching, breathing, coughing, and tampering with sushi plates and condiments. To make matters worse, the trend kicked off just as the world was rebounding from COVID-19. It even impacted sales at Sushiro, the aforementioned conveyor chain, causing its stock to fall nearly 100 yen. Several chains chose to take legal action and install AI camera systems as a result, too.

Fifty-five years after the Osaka World Expo introduced conveyor belt sushi to the world, 2025 will be a full-circle moment for Japan's culinary treasure. Kura Sushi, a major sushi restaurant chain, plans to break the conveyor belt length record. The company will build a 135-meter-long (442 feet and longer than an American football field) conveyor at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka that features popular types of sushi along with international dishes. Kura Sushi holds the previous record as well, a 123-meter-long belt at its flagship location in Tokyo.

It will provide 338 seats for attendees to experience the milestone moment. According to Kyodo News, Kura Sushi the only major chain that still serves plates on the conveyor in the traditional way, though covers and monitors them with AI-powered cameras. As mentioned, most restaurants today employ the touchscreen method that allows customers to specify orders. Kura Sushi hopes to put the exciting world of conveyor belt sushi on an even larger stage. The 2025 World Expo in Osaka takes place between April 13 and October 13.