Conveyor belt sushi is popular among Japanese families. Add games and prizes to the mix and it’s easy to see why sushi and game night with kids at Kura Zushi it’s a practical option for family dining in Japan.
At least twice a month (sometimes more), little Kaiju, my husband, and I eat sushi at our neighborhood Kura Zushi.
(This post isn’t sponsored, but the folks at Kura Zushi are more than welcome to hit me up for some PR!)
Interior
When it’s your turn to be seated, take your number clipboard to its corresponding table, and don’t forget to grab a booster seat on the way.
The booster seats at Kura Zushi are compact, wooden, and attach directly to the table.
They’re also very easy to wipe down before/after use. (To be fair though, these booster seats are in plenty of kid-friendly restaurants across Japan.)
Cups, matcha powder, chopsticks, dessert spoons, soy sauce, citrus (yuzu) sauce, pickled ginger (gari), are located on the table.
Wet tissues are located above each table, near the capsule toy (gachapon) machine.
Kids’ bowls and forks are near the water dispensers.
Menu
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Kura Zushi is not afraid to experiment with expanding their menu. It seems like every 2 weeks or so there’s something new on the menu.
Sometimes, new dishes only make an appearance for only a few days, never to be seen again! You’ll even find everything from noodle dishes, curry, and even burgers!
Most menu items are 100 yen, with limited edition sushi items and specialty dishes ranging from 200 yen (select fish and desserts) to 500 yen (noodle dishes and curry).
The menu also includes coffee, tea, fruit juices, soft drinks, a few alcoholic beverages, and draft beer too.
How To Order
Grab any dish off the conveyor belt by gently opening the plastic dome. I prefer the touchscreen, though.
Use the touchscreen to select the language of your choice and flip through the menu.
Sometimes it’s a bit confusing (even distracting!) flipping back and forth so I like to consult with the menu on the table.
TIP: See those numbers in the red square next to a dish?
Look at the row of hand rolled sushi wraps (手巻き寿司 | temaki zushi):
That’s the menu page number!
Not sure what to choose? Here’s a few of our family favorites:
Bonito (Katsuo)
Salmon with Onion and Mayonnaise
Chicken Bites
Natto Rolls
French Fries
Chocolate Cake & Mousse
Games, Games, Games!
What I love most about Kura Zushi are the mini games. After you finish a plate, insert it into the slot on the table. Once you’ve collected 5 plates, a mini game plays on the touchscreen.
The game is an animated short of a boy or girl trying to complete a task (pulling off a magic show without a hitch, whitewater rafting, ghost hunting, etc), games change seasonally, but little Kaiju loves the current ghost and magic show games.
If your screen shows はずれ (hazure) at the end, it means you’ve lost (you’ll be able to tell by the characters’ reactions, though!)
あたり (atari) means you’ve won, and you get a capsule toy.
The toy is usually a Kura Zushi sushi keychain shaped like one of their dishes. Other times, it’s a figure or keychain or washi tape featuring popular anime characters like Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Detective Conan.
Check Out
When you’ve gotten your sushi fix, press the red “Check” button on the lower left corner of the touch screen.
A staff member will confirm the amount of plates and total. Take the number clipboard to the cashier, pay, and you’re done.
Now, if you’re like me and are obsessed with earning points, you’ll be happy to know that you can earn and pay with Rakuten Points at Kura Zushi.
READ: How To Earn Points In Japan Like A Boss
More Tips
You can use the Kura Zushi app (Japanese language only) to reserve a booth in advance, but for last-minute lunch or dinner plans:
Be prepared to sit counter-side when it’s packed. On the bright side, everyone gets their own monitor for the mini-games!
Avoid the crowd by eating lunch between 11:00 and 11:30 or after 1pm.
Likewise, for dinner, arrive before 6pm or after 7pm. We usually go right after school, arriving by 4:45-5pm. By the time we leave at 6, the evening line is nearly out the door!
Ready for sushi?
