The internet may have you believe that Japan is super expensive for food. Not even! With so many different Japanese foods to try, there are plenty of options on a budget. One of the quirkiest, and easiest for lower Japanese language abilities are sushi-go-round or conveyor belt sushi as they are often translated. Find yourself in Kanagawa Prefectures Yokosuka? There
Quick Japanese Lesson
寿司 – sushi. When you throw the first noun on the front like in ‘kaitenzushi’, it changes the “s” sound to a “z”. Sushi actually only refers to the vinegar rice.
回転寿司, kaitenzushi – literally ‘revolving sushi’. 回 is a counter of occurrences, and 転 means to revolve. American’s switched it to sushi-go-round. I’m going to throw a guess due to another go-round we have.
握り寿司, nigirizushi ( sushi is pronounced “
魚, sakana – Generic term for fish.
屋, ya – One of the many different words that means “store”
The Concept of Sushi-go-round
Kaitenzushi is great for not having to talk to anyone if you are worried about your Japanese skills. You’d think that might be weird but it seems to becoming more prevalent as time goes on with many restaurants using computer screen ordering over human interaction. (Though I don’t know if I can fault them on saving on the extra cost).
Remember, Kaitenzushi (回転寿司), broken down into parts is literally “how many times-revolving-sushi”. If you want, just wait for a plate to come around that looks good, and grab it. A note for the budget item places, if it is on a special “platform-esque” plate, it’s been special ordered, so don’t take that!
Want something specific? You’ll either have the option to order on the screen or “sumimasen” to the chef and place your order.
The History of Kaitenzushi
What this all boils down to? A sushi chef in need of some staff to help him! Yoshiaki Shiraishi, understaffed and not able to keep up with his shop, got the idea from watching beers being bottled at an Asahi plant. He opened the first ever conveyor belt sushi, Mawaru Genroku Sushi in Higashiosaka, in 1958. After which he went on to open them all over the country.
Now you can find sushi-go-rounds all over the world, in varying degrees of price ranges.
Budget Sushi-go-round in Yokosuka Options
For a quick and inexpensive meal, go to a 100 yen sushi shop. Each plate is conveniently the same price. You’ll either need to stack up your conquest at the end or some have a game-type appeal where you slide your plate down a shoot and after 5 plates, you may win a prize. Ingenius in getting you to buy a few more plates even though you may be full.
Some will have deals during the week where you may be able to find 90 yen plates. Depending on the cut of fish, that will mean two or one pieces of nigirizushi a plate. Easily filling you up after not that much money.
Chain Options in Downtown Yokosuka
For 100 yen sushi plates, you have the options of Sushiro or Hamazushi. There are some of the other big chain options as well but you will need a car to get to those.
Sushiro (スシロー)
The full name is actually Akindo Sushiro but it’s colliqually referred to as “Sushiro”, and is the #1 selling chain in Japan. The building the Sushiro currently resides in, a long time ago, use to be a hamburger place. Now it’s a frequently to capacity sushi-go-round option. If you can navigate Japanese, there is an app available to call ahead your seating reservation. When you enter, like most 100 yen option places, you’ll enter and go to a kiosk.
From there, place how many people you have in your party and choose “table” or “whatevers quicker”. Whatever is quicker will default to a counter seat vs. a table option. If your party is small, that probably doesn’t matter.
It has quirky mascots (as most of Japan does) and decent tasting fish products for the price. You also have options of ramen, actually pretty on-point desserts and some sides. The screen makes it easy and you can place it into “English” mode.
Location
Easy walk from Shioiri Station and one of the first restaurant options you’ll come across from the JR Yokosuka station. You’ll just need to walk over the pedestrian overpass on Route 16 (one of the few numbered streets in Japan).
Hamazushi (はま寿司)
While this was my first introduction of 100 yen sushi in town, the quality in recent years to me has gone down. It has many of the same features as Sushiro and if you are closer to Yokosuka-chuo and looking for some cheap sushi, this is your place. And if you super like it? There are over 400 locations around Japan.
Hamazushi Yokosuka-chuo Location
From the station, it’s a quick walk down “blue street”.
Pay by the color of your plate
Stepping it up a notch but still want something fast? Hit Sakanayasan no Shinsen (魚屋さんの新鮮 under the Yokosuka-chuo station on the Keikyu Line.
Sakanayasan no Shinsen (魚屋さんの新鮮)
If you want a step above the many 100 yen sushi-go-rounds in town, but still want the quick meal aspect, by far, the best sushi-go-round in Yokosuka is Sakanayasan no Shinsen (魚屋さんの新鮮). Located underneath the Yokosuka-chuo station it is very convenient if you take the train. For those of us in town, it’s right in the mix of it all.
What makes it the Best sushi-go-round in Yokosuka?
Sakanayasan no Shinsen (魚屋さんの新鮮) wins by the quality. You can’t go wrong with sushi in Japan (what we rightly call nigiri in the states) but there’s definitely level’s to contend with. Higher quality sushi-go-rounds will have different colored plates with the more expensive fish, costing more.
Here they range from 108 円 a plate to 712 円. I have been here when they’ve had something super special that’s been a bit more too. Sakanayasan no Shinsen (魚屋さんの新鮮)is part of a conglomerate, Uoko, which includes the fish dealer itself, you’ll see “Uoko” on the plates. You know that the sushi here is FRESH.
There’s always specials to be had. If you can read, you can just shout out your order to the chef. The “every day” menu is your placemat and has the English translations. Otherwise, just wait for the plate to come around and pick your choices.
Note: the signs near the plates are not always the fish they are near.
How’s this work?
If it’s your first time in a sushi-go-round, you’ll be seated at the counter when its available. This isn’t normally seen as a languishing meal, so don’t set up shop, but meant to be a good quick meal. They will bring you a cup of green tea, to which, if you need a refill you can say “お代わりをください” (o-ka-wa-ri-o-ku-da-sai). This means “a second helping, please” and you only use this for refilling water or tea. If you want another beer (which when you sit down you can say “ビールをください”, “bi-ru-o-ku-da-sai”), you need to ask for another glass. You wouldn’t refill a beer because it’s not free. (Unless your in an all-you-can-drink scenario, Japanese, it’s complicated sometimes).
Chop sticks will be in a box like this one the counter so no need to ask for them. Soy sauce and dishes are also provided. Extra wasabi will be on the conveyor but normally, if the fish is “meant” to be served with wasabi, it will already have it.
Ginger to cleanse your pallet between bites is also provided. Just use the tongs to put some on one of your sushi plates.
Let’s Eat!
Usually, there is always a three fish special, generally of different cuts of tuna but they also had shell fish going this day.
This just looked amazing so I had to try it. If you don’t know what sometime is, and you are close enough to the chef you can say “すみません、このさかなはなんですか？” (su-mi-ma-sen, kono sakana wa nan desu ka), “what is this fish?” to learn. Or you can just go in blind. Asking is better for when you want it again in the future! This actually is aji (horse mackerel), which surprised me.
There’s also a take out option.
If the line is too long or you just don’t want to wait, there is also the take out option. Super reasonably priced. You won’t see this in the states!
Looking for something fancier?
The hands-down the best option for sushi in Yokosuka is Sushi Bar Enji. Expect to spend some of your dollar bills (they aren’t actually one of the places that
What’s your favorite sushi-go-round in Yokosuka?
Which do you think is the best sushi-go-round in Yokosuka? Let me know in the comments!
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