Sushi
Merry Go Round (Kaiten) Sushi Bar
Eating sushi at a merry-go-round (kaiten) sushi bar is a rite of passage for any tourist to Japan.
Before introducing our Top Ten, let's separate fact from fiction.
Fiction: Kaiten sushi is great sushi.
It's not. The best sushi is served at sushi counter bars where you order by the piece and the chef slices and serves to order. If you're accustomed to good sushi, not on a budget, and you have at least an hour to spare, visit a counter sushi bar. Most of the big hotels have a good counter sushi restaurant. The new fish market in Toyosu has a half-dozen good counter sushi bars. We'll cover those in a future article.
Fact: Many merry-go-round sushi bars have quality on par with middle-of-the-road counter bars.
Most of the places below are far better than average in terms of quality, and the top five or six are comparable to an average counter sushi bar.
Fiction: Merry-go-round sushi bars are cheap.
They're not. Generally, one plate of decent quality sushi is ¥400 (about $3.00). We'd avoid any plates under ¥250. You'd have to go outside Tokyo to low-cost chains to find decent sushi at that price.
Fact: Merry-go-round sushi bars are easy to eat at.
Most of the chain sushi bars now use tablets with English-language menus. You select your item and quantity and it's automatically delivered on a tray. Be sure not to take someone else's order. Yours will stop right at your seat or be handed to you.
Last note: The scoring is overall a little low because of the quality of the product.
Nemuro Hanamaru
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line, Marunouchi South Exit, inside KITTE shopping center
Nemuro Hanamaru is located across the street from Tokyo Station, on the 5th floor of the KITTE shopping plaza, making it a convenient stop when touring the city.
There are a few more in Tokyo, so check your Google map if you can't make it to Tokyo Station area.
Expect a long wait. Most patrons check in at the automated terminal, get a ticket and then return. You can also have them place an automated call when the table is ready.
The distinguishing factor at Nemuro Hanamaru is freshness. They're slicing the fish on one table and packing it into sushi on another.
Each fish has its own taste and texture—signs of good sushi. You'll know you're at a bad place when every dish tastes the same.
The servings are good for the price, but not overly generous.
+Location
+Good language support and on-site reservation system
+Excellent staff
+Reasonable prices (most between ¥250 and ¥600)
-Long wait
=An excellent choice for visitors who don't want to return home without saying they visited a sushi bar. Especially good if you've got an hour to kill in the Marunouchi area.
Sushi Katsumidori
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shibuya Station, Yamanote Line, Hachiko Exit, Seibu Department Store, 8th Floor
The cost-performance leader. Good-size portions for a reasonable price. Quality varies with the fish, but good overall. Sticking to the special, fresh items is a good bet.
+Price
+Easy order
-Often long waits
=A great choice when you're in the Shibuya area.
Tenka Sushi Dogenzaka
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shibuya Station, Yamanote Line, Hachiko Exit, Dogenzaka
Another Shibuya chain sushi.
Among the middle-tier kaiten sushi chains, this one has a solid reputation among the local clientele for good taste and texture for the price.
As with any kaiten sushi restaurant, focus on the seasonal/daily specials to get the best freshness.
+Selection (soups, etc. also good)
+Location
-Smaller sized shop
=Great place to start with.
Miura Misaki (Ueno)
- Google Maps
- Website
- Across the street from Ueno Station
This small shop sits across the street from Ueno Station.
The fare is typical: maguro tuna, salmon, and a lot of white fish. The taste and texture are good, not great.
The one difference from other shops is the jumbo size of the "gunboat" plates with chopped fish and rice wrapped in seaweed. Good, but for the price, not exceptional.
Prices are typical, from ¥200 to about ¥500 for most plates, with an average for a decent plate at ¥350.
+Great location
+Easy to order
-Small shop (you'll wait if you come after 11 a.m.)
=A good stop after a tour of Ueno's zoo, museums, and park. There are a few other merry-go-round sushi joints on the same road, but Miura Misaki has the best reputation.
Gatten Sushi Ikebukuro Sunshine City
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Ikebukuro Station, Yamanote Line, Exit 33, 7-minute walk to Sunshine City
Gatten is primarily a suburban chain sushi restaurant. In the suburbs, this is easily the best chain sushi, far better than Kappa and Kura.
The seared salmon is one of their best dishes. They also have a nice selection of seasonal fish. We'd recommend focusing on the seasonal specials and the regular salmon.
The fish/crab soups are also excellent.
+Quality
+Portion size
-Bit of a walk
-Crowded on weekends
=A good option if you're shopping in the Ikebukuro area.
Onodera Honten
- Google Maps
- Website
- Tokyo Metro Omotesando Station, Ginza Line, Exit B5
This is definitely not the price leader in the kaiten sushi arena, but it has a stable menu of tuna favorites and is conveniently located in the Omotesando area.
Expect a wait during lunch and dinner times. Arriving before 11 am and after 9pm and you can avoid a wait of more than an hour.
+Location
+Good selection of core tuna, shrimp items
-Not a price leader
Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka
Uobei is also a lower-end chain with good cost-performance. Don't expect net-to-table freshness here. Stick with the daily specials and any seasonal items to ensure you get the best cuts.
Make a stop here, and if you're still into sushi, work your way up the chain or splurge a little and visit a counter sushi bar.
+Price
+Ease of ordering
-Nothing special about menu
=A good initial stop after touring Shibuya.
Sushizanmai Honten
- Google Maps
- Website
- Tokyo Metro Tsukiji Station, Hibiya Line, Exit 1
Sushizanmai has more than 20 restaurants in central Tokyo, and this one makes the list because it's the flagship located near the old fish market.
We'd recommend the sushi sets with 7~10 varieties.
The fatty tuna is a Sushizanmai specialty.
+Good set menus
+Good hours (24 hours at Tsukiji)
-Hit and miss with freshness
-Not a price leader
=If you're in the Shimbashi area (Hamariku Park, etc.), this is a great place for lunch specials.
Toyama Sushi Ginza
- Google Maps
- Website
- JR Shimbashi Station, Yamanote Line, Ginza Exit
Another simple, straightforward sushi chain with a tasty selection of set plates featuring 5~6 varieties. Mostly available only at lunch time.
+Good set menus
+Reasonable prices
+Accessible
=Another option for the Shimbashi area (Hamariku Park, etc.).
Kurazushi Global Flagship Ginza
- Google Maps
- Website
This is the newest department store in Ginza, opened in April 2017 to replace Matsuzakaya.
The basement food emporium has some unique shops in a very spacious area, notably a few very good bakeries and a nice wine shop with glass wine offerings.
But this isn't an improvement over the traditional emporium.
In fact, what you gain in maneuverability with the slick interior and wider aisles is more than lost in the bustling excitement and vitality you find in the traditional emporium.
In a phrase, it's a little too little.
+Bakeries and wine
+Maneuverable
-A little boring
-Smaller selection of shops