Say It Sushi › How to Eat at Conveyor Belt Sushi in Japan (Kaiten-Zushi, Step by Step)

How to Eat at Conveyor Belt Sushi in Japan (Kaiten-Zushi, Step by Step)

Conveyor belt sushi, 回転寿司 (kaiten-zushi, also written kaitenzushi or kaiten sushi), is the easiest way to try sushi in Japan. Plates ride past on a belt, you take what you like, and at many chains you order everything else on a touch panel. You hardly need to talk. Still, a few moments catch first-timers out: the check-in machine at the door, the hot-water tap for tea, the plate you shouldn't put back, and the Japanese on the screen.

This guide covers how to eat at conveyor belt sushi in Japan in the order it happens, from the door to the register. Each section ends with the phrases for that moment, including what staff may say to you and how to answer. Machines, screens, and prices differ by chain and even by branch, so treat the screen words here as common examples, not exact labels.

After each section, a link takes you to a short timed game on that topic, set on, fittingly, a sushi conveyor: a plate rolls by with English on it, and you tap the right Japanese before it leaves. The game's voice is synthetic (VOICEVOX), not a native recording, so use it to learn the rhythm.

How Kaiten Sushi Works: The Whole Visit in Six Steps

1. Check in at the entrance, at a machine or with staff, and wait for your number if it's busy.
2. Sit down at the counter along the belt or at a table.
3. Make green tea yourself at your seat.
4. Take plates from the belt, or order on the touch panel.
5. Check out with the button on the panel, or by calling staff.
6. Pay at the register or a self-checkout machine.

If you remember only two rules, make it these: once you take a plate, it's yours, and never put a plate back on the belt. Everything else you can figure out at the table.

Kaiten sushi works differently from a sushi counter, where a chef serves you piece by piece. There's no omakase and little conversation, and you set your own pace. If you're planning a counter meal too, read how to order sushi in Japanese.

When you need help at any point, raise your hand slightly and say すみません (sumimasen), “excuse me.” At a casual chain, that's normal, not rude.

Say it right: in kaiten-zushi, the s of sushi turns into a z. That's a normal sound change in Japanese compound words.

• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen
• はいhai · Yes▶ Listen
• いいえiie · No▶ Listen
• これ おねがいしますkore onegaishimasu · This one, please▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Walking In: The Check-In Machine and Your Seat

At many chains there's a check-in machine or tablet (受付, uketsuke) by the entrance. You enter how many people are in your group, choose a seat type, and get a numbered ticket. At some chains the ticket shows your seat number instead, and you can go straight to that seat. Some machines have an English button, and some don't. Some chains also let you check in or join the line ahead of time through an app or website, which can save a wait at busy times.

Words you'll often see on the check-in screen

Choosing dochira demo (either) can get you seated sooner when it's busy. When your number comes up, it may be shown on a screen, announced, or both. Solo diners are often seated at the counter, and groups at a table.

What staff may say, and how to answer

Say it right: hold the ā in kauntā for two beats. It's the English word “counter” in Japanese sounds.

• ひとりですhitori desu · Just me (party of one)▶ Listen
• ふたりですfutari desu · Two of us (party of two)▶ Listen
• はいhai · Yes▶ Listen
• いいえiie · No▶ Listen
• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Making Green Tea at Your Seat: Powder and the Hot-Water Tap

Green tea is usually self-serve, and at many chains it comes at no extra charge. At your seat you'll typically find:

• Cups (湯呑み, yunomi), often stacked upside down.
• A container of powdered green tea (粉末緑茶, funmatsu ryokucha, often called konacha in English guides) with a small scoop, or tea bags. The label may just say お茶 (ocha).
• A hot-water tap built into the counter or table, sometimes marked お湯 (oyu, hot water).

How to make it

1. Put one small scoop of powder in the cup. Start with less. You can add more.
2. Find the tap. On many, you press the cup against a lever or pad under the spout. On others, you push a button.
3. Fill the cup partway, then pull it back to stop the water. Swirl gently.

The water is very hot. A sign such as 熱湯注意 (nettō chūi, “caution: hot water”) is common near the tap. Keep your fingers clear, hold the cup low, and don't let children work the tap alone. If you'd prefer cold water, look for a self-serve water station, or ask.

You may see agari on signs or hear it at sushi restaurants. Customers can just say ocha. If you can't find the tap, say sumimasen and point at your cup.

Say it right: ocha is two short beats, “o-cha.” Don't stretch the o.

• おちゃocha · Green tea▶ Listen
• あがりagari · Green tea (sushi-bar word)▶ Listen
• みずmizu · Water▶ Listen
• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Taking Plates From the Belt: The Etiquette That Matters

• Decide before you reach. Once you've touched or taken a plate, it's yours. Don't put it back, even untouched.
• Take the whole plate. Lift the plate off the belt. Don't pick single pieces off it. If the plate sits under a clear cover, open it the way the sign or sticker on it shows. At some chains you press a button and the cover lifts so you can slide the plate out. How covers work varies by chain.
• Never put empty plates on the belt. Stack them at your seat. At some chains you drop them into a slot at the table instead, and a machine counts them.
• Leave other people's orders alone. Ordered items may ride the same belt on a marked stand or tray, sometimes labeled ご注文品 (go-chūmon-hin, “ordered item”), or come on a separate lane. If a plate has a marker, it isn't for you.
• Keep the belt clean. Don't touch the belt or food you aren't taking. Turn away from the belt if you cough or sneeze.

Sharing plates within your own group is normal. At some chains and branches, only ordered items run on the belt, so if every plate has a marker, order on the touch panel instead.

Not sure what's on a plate? The name is often on a small tag, the touch panel menu, or a poster. These toppings are easy to spot:

For more topping names and types of sushi, see how to order sushi in Japanese.

Say it right: hold the ā in sāmon for two beats: “saa-mon.”

• これは なんですかkore wa nan desu ka · What is this?▶ Listen
• まぐろmaguro · Tuna▶ Listen
• サーモンsāmon · Salmon▶ Listen
• えびebi · Shrimp▶ Listen
• いかika · Squid▶ Listen
• たまごtamago · Egg omelet (usually sweet, always cooked)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Plate Colors and How Your Bill Adds Up

At many kaiten sushi restaurants, the color or pattern of a plate shows its price. A chart on the wall, on the menu, or on the touch panel matches each color to a price. Other places charge one price for most plates and use a different color only for premium items. Prices and colors vary by chain, branch, and season, so check the chart before you start, not after.

Your bill is the total of your plates, plus anything else you ordered, such as drinks or side dishes. If staff count plates by hand, keeping your stack neat helps. Some chains count plates automatically, so how you stack them matters less.

A price chart may show both a before-tax and a tax-included price. The tax-included one, 税込, is what you'll pay. Japanese rules require prices shown to customers to include tax, so look for the tax-included figure (税込, zeikomi) on the price chart. If you can't find the chart, point at the plate and ask ikura desu ka. Careful: ikura on its own is salmon roe, which also rides the belt.

Say it right: desu ka sounds closer to “dess-ka.” The u almost disappears.

• いくらですかikura desu ka · How much is it?▶ Listen
• いくらikura · Salmon roe▶ Listen
• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

The Touch Panel: Japanese You'll See on the Screen

Many chains have a touch panel at each seat, often with a language button. Look for “Language,” “English,” 言語 (gengo), or a globe icon. Even in English mode, some pop-ups, limited-time items, or alerts may stay in Japanese. These are words you'll commonly see. Exact labels differ by chain. Some chains also let you order on your own phone: scan the code shown at your seat and the menu opens in your browser.

When your order arrives

Ordered items may come on the main belt or on a separate express lane that stops at your seat. A chime or a message on the screen usually tells you it's coming. On some systems, you press a button after taking your plate so the tray goes back to the kitchen. 注文履歴 is worth a look before you check out: it shows what you've ordered, and at some chains a running total.

If the panel freezes or an order doesn't arrive, press the call-staff button, or raise your hand and say sumimasen. For more ways to order, from no wasabi to less rice, see how to order sushi in Japanese.

Say it right: hold the ū in chūmon for two beats: “choo-mon.”

• さびぬきで おねがいしますsabinuki de onegaishimasu · No wasabi, please▶ Listen
• おすすめは なんですかosusume wa nan desu ka · What do you recommend?▶ Listen
• えいごの メニューは ありますかeigo no menyū wa arimasu ka · Is there an English menu?▶ Listen
• おかいけい おねがいしますokaikei onegaishimasu · Check, please▶ Listen
• すみませんsumimasen · Excuse me! (to call the staff)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Soy Sauce, Ginger, and Wasabi: What's at Your Seat

Besides tea, your seat usually has:

• Soy sauce in a bottle, and small dishes to pour it into. Dip the fish side lightly, not the rice, so the piece doesn't fall apart. For gunkan (seaweed-wrapped) pieces, or if you prefer, pour a drop or two straight onto the topping instead. That's what some chains' own guides suggest.
• Pickled ginger (ガリ, gari), in a shared container at some seats, or in small packets or on order at others. If it's shared, use the tongs or scoop if there is one, not your own chopsticks, and take what you'll eat. It's for cleansing your palate between pieces.
• Chopsticks in a box, usually disposable, plus wet towels or paper napkins.
• Wasabi, sometimes. At many chains, nigiri come without wasabi, and you add your own. It may be in packets at your seat, packets riding the belt, or something you order on the panel.

If you have an allergy

Some chains show allergen information on the touch panel or their website. Many kinds of seafood share one belt and one kitchen, though, so for a serious allergy, ask staff and show a written note in Japanese that names the food.

Say it right: shōyu has three even beats, “sho-o-yu,” with the o held. Not “soy-you.”

• しょうゆshōyu · Soy sauce▶ Listen
• ガリgari · Pickled ginger (sushi-bar word)▶ Listen
• はしhashi · Chopsticks▶ Listen
• アレルギーが ありますarerugī ga arimasu · I have an allergy▶ Listen
• なまの さかなは たべられませんnama no sakana wa taberaremasen · I can't eat raw fish▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

Checking Out and Paying

When you're done, look for お会計 (okaikei) on the touch panel. Depending on the chain, staff may come to count your plates, the total may appear on the screen, or you may get a slip to take to the register or a self-checkout machine. If there's no panel, say おかいけい おねがいします (okaikei onegaishimasu), “Check, please,” to any staff member. For paying by card or cash, splitting the bill, and receipts, see how to say “check, please” in Japanese.

On your way out, ごちそうさまでした (gochisōsama deshita), “Thank you for the meal,” is a nice touch. For what it really means, see gochisousama deshita meaning.

Say it right: okaikei has five even beats, “o-ka-i-ke-i.” In everyday speech the end often sounds like “kay,” but don't drop a beat: keep the o short and crisp.

• おかいけい おねがいしますokaikei onegaishimasu · Check, please▶ Listen
• カードは つかえますかkādo wa tsukaemasu ka · Can I pay by card?▶ Listen
• べつべつで おねがいしますbetsubetsu de onegaishimasu · Separate checks, please▶ Listen
• おいしかったですoishikatta desu · It was delicious▶ Listen
• ごちそうさまでしたgochisōsama deshita · Thanks for the meal (after eating)▶ Listen

Practice these in the game →

FAQ

More sushi-bar Japanese

• How to Order Sushi in Japanese (and Practice Before You Go)
• How to Say “Check, Please” in Japanese: Paying at a Restaurant
• Japanese Restaurant Phrases: What to Say From the Door to the Check

Audio is synthesized with VOICEVOX (voice: 冥鳴ひまり), not a recording of a native speaker. Romaji uses macrons for long vowels (ō, ū).