Conveyor belt sushi faces decline in Japan amid hygiene concerns

Conveyor belt sushi, or "kaiten sushi," was created in 1958 as a way to serve large numbers of customers efficiently while reducing manual labor, according to Unseen Japan, a platform sharing insights from local sources. The concept was a hit, and its popularity spread across Japan and beyond.

However, the system has become a fading trend in recent years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey by seafood firm Maruha Nichiro this year found that 81.5% of respondents consumed more sushi made to order than sushi picked from the conveyor belt.

Sushi is seen on a conveyor belt at a Kura Sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, June 3, 2021. Photo by Reuters

The pandemic heightened consumer awareness about germs on exposed food, making the concept of food sliding through a room full of strangers increasingly unappealing, Japan Today reported.

Concerns escalated further last year when sushi chains faced a wave of viral videos showing customers engaging in unhygienic behaviors, such as licking utensils, soy sauce bottles, teacups, and even the food moving along the conveyor belts before putting them back.

Food waste is another issue. Sushi is typically prepared in advance at these establishments, and if plates are not picked up before the rice hardens or the fish loses its freshness, they must be removed and discarded. Restaurant operators also incur expenses for disposing of unsold food.

Hence, several sushi chains have been exploring alternatives to conveyor belts that ensure hygiene and minimize waste while still keeping the dish selection process enjoyable.

Akindo Sushiro, a leader in the conveyor belt sushi market, has launched a new system called "Digital Sushiro Vision," as reported by Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

It features large touch screens at each table that allow customers to place orders directly, play a video of sushi offerings sliding across the screen, and also showcase recommended items.

Hamazushi, a conveyor belt sushi chain, has introduced a system that uses a high-speed linear track to deliver ordered items directly to each table, Japan News reported.

It anticipates that the new system will reduce food waste by about 1,000 tons each year and has also added video panels for dish selection, similar to Sushiro.

Despite the decline, experts believe the revolving sushi trend will not disappear entirely.

"Part of the essence of conveyor belt sushi is the fun of picking items off the conveyor," conveyor belt sushi critic Nobuo Yonekawa said.

Some sushi chains have moved to keep the conveyor belt system, such as Kura Sushi, which has added order lanes to its current system.

The company reports that it has cut waste to approximately 3% by using artificial intelligence to analyze customer preferences and determine which items to place on the conveyor belt.

An official from Kura Sushi said that the demand for conveyor belt sushi is huge, especially from foreign visitors who want to experience Japanese culture.

The chain earlier this year unveiled a 123-meter-long conveyor belt at its flagship store in Tokyo’s Ginza district.

Tadaki Odajima, head chef at Masukomi Sushi Bar in Tokyo’s upmarket Marunouchi district, told the South China Morning Post that conveyor belt restaurants will remain a staple in Japan in spite of the recent bad publicity.

"They buy in bulk and use conveyor belts to cut down on staff, which means they can be more competitive on price," he said.

"That is good for families, for example, so I really do not think this is the end of ‘kaiten sushi’ in Japan."