Yup, you heard that right. Sushi coming towards you… on a conveyor belt…and as much as you want! It’s basically the dream come true for any sushi lover.
But where can you find the best conveyor belt sushi in Tokyo? AND it also happens to be crazy cheap? Get your Google maps ready to save these restaurants for your trip to Tokyo!
The Best Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo (Kaitenzushi Restaurant)
The best cheap sushi in Tokyo is luckily not that hard to find! It’s almost synonymous with conveyor belt sushi, also known as kaiten sushi in Japan.
And since Jake and I are obsessed with food and saving money, the best affordable sushi in Tokyo was the VERY first thing we went for once we stepped foot in Japan.
1. Uobei Sushi in Shibuya (Uobei Shibuya Dougenzaka)
The first restaurant is called Uobei Sushi, and it comes as #1 in Tokyo in with over 5,000 good reviews on Google maps.
How to Get to Uobei Sushi
Here’s the location marked on Google Maps:
It is on a small street that just happened to also have a Taco Bell on it (that was a little hard to pass up, to be honest!) but I’m glad we did because 1. Taco Bell is crazy-expensive outside of the USA and 2. This was the cheapest sushi we had the entire trip.
This is what it looks like from the outside:
How Much Does Uobei Sushi Cost?
You can scroll to the end of this post to get a quick description of how conveyor belt sushi actually works, but basically, there are 3 tiers of sushi.
They will organize it in different colors and you can see how much the plate costs when you order it on the iPad.
This one is a bit cheaper at $1 for the cheapest sushi plate. I even took a picture of the receipt for you as proof.
Since the Japanese Yen is about 108 Yen to $1 USD, this meal only cost us $8.11. I’m all about the 100 Yen sushi!!
2. Sushiro
The second restaurant is Sushiro. It’s in Ueno, Tokyo and it was a bit further out. The line was quite a bit longer, the plates a bit more expensive, and there were also fewer options.
Sushiro also had plates that were pre-made and that would circulate on the conveyor belt for anyone to take if they wanted it, which was unique.
You could grab the sushi as it came by instead of ordering it.
Where to Find Sushiro
How Much Does Sushiro Sushi Cost?
Since this place was a bit more expensive (and we might have skipped breakfast) it cost us 1609 Yen, about $15. The cheapest plate was about $1.75.
Even though this place was the most expensive that we went to, overall I was shocked at the Tokyo sushi prices. It was much cheaper than I imagined it would be!
3. Kaiten Sushi Toriton
Although we didn’t make it to this kaiten zushi restaurant, I have it on my list for next time! It’s near the Tokyo Sky Tree and has amazing reviews.
Here’s the location on Google Maps:
4. Genki Sushi in Shibuya
UPDATE: Unfortunately, Genki Sushi in Shibuya has closed permanently. ): This used to be #1 on my sushi list, so I’m so sad to see it closed.
It is located in Shibuya (of course, since that’s basically the Times Square of Tokyo) and it is FANTASTIC! Pictured below is some of the best sushi I’ve ever had.
It was a bit of a blur (so much sushi flying towards me) but I believe it was tuna and avocado.
How Much Does Genki Sushi Cost?
Since we are so budget-crazy, we always ordered from the bottom tier (unless it was something I couldn’t go without) and we always left super full. The cheapest plate here is about $1.50.
Also, there may be a line (there will most likely be a line) but PLEASE just wait it out! It will go by quickly and you won’t regret it.
How Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurants Work
It basically works like this: almost always you arrive at the restaurant and there is a line.
Don’t get in the line though, go to the front and make sure to take a number or put your name on the list, whichever one they use at that particular restaurant.
Then, when some seats open up they will tell you which numbers are yours and you find your place. You have an iPad and a conveyor belt in front of you and you have usually about 45 minutes to sit there and order whatever type of sushi you want!
Usually, they organize the sushi by plate color. Each color represents a different price or possibly if there is wasabi included in the dish.
You can order anywhere from 3-5 sushi dishes at one time, but once they all arrive you can keep ordering more! Hallelujah!
Sometimes there is a conveyor belt with sushi that you can take off without ordering it.
It is always fresh and you don’t worry about keeping track, they will count them for you when you are finally finished. (There is a button to press when you are done ordering and want to check out).
Sushi Recommendations
Although I don’t consider myself a sushi expert (I’m way too cheap for that!) there are a few types of sushi that I recommend you try: raw tuna, shrimp tempura, anything with avocado, anything that is broiled, California rolls, and basically anything that looks good to you as it passes by your face!
The best part about going to these more affordable sushi places is that it’s not a big deal if you don’t love every plate you get. Make sure to try something new!
Read More About Japan:
- Is Sushi Cheap in Japan?
- The Perfect 7-Day Itinerary for Japan
- 5 Affordable Foods in Japan You Need to Try
- How to See a Geisha in Real Life
Pin this blog post for your trip to Japan!!
Dayna Brockbank is a travel and language-learning blogger who has lived around the world but has now settled in Nice, France. She speaks 3 languages at varying levels of fluency: Spanish, Italian, and French, and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Spanish Education. She and her husband focus on making travel part of life by living cheaply and traveling on a budget.