Whenever I spend a lengthy period of time outside of Japan, I start missing 回転寿司 (かいてんずし // conveyor-belt sushi; rotating sushi).

I don't like the terms "conveyor-belt sushi" or "rotating sushi." Saying "conveyor-belt sushi" is probably the most accurate, but "rotating sushi" matches up with the Japanese, since 回転 (かいてん) means "rotation." Rather than use these English terms, I'll just write 回転寿司 (かいてんずし) from now on. (Note that it's not かいてんすし, it's かいてんずし.)

I miss 回転寿司 the most when I go to a sushi shop in the U.S. and everything is so ridiculously overpriced. I can't bring myself to pay $4-5 for two pieces of salmon 握りずし (にぎりずし // [sushi which is just a slice of fish on rice]) because I can get two pieces of (often better-tasting) salmon nigiri for about $1 in Japan!

That's not an exaggeration. At the time of this writing, it is 100 yen for two pieces of salmon nigiri at はま寿司 (はまずし // Hamazushi), a cheap 回転寿司 chain. Even with tax, that comes out to almost exactly $1 at the current exchange rate.

And we're not just talking about salmon. All of these foods are $1 each:

(The following photos are screenshots of Hamazushi's official menu.)

If you feel like splurging, you can throw down an extra 50 cents or so for these:

Since sushi is so cheap at these shops, you could theoretically go with a friend, both eat 10 pieces of nigiri, and each only pay around $5.

I say "theoretically" because Rei and I always end up spending quite a bit more than that. It's the side menu that gets us:

In particular, these items right here:

So a draft beer is almost $5 on its own.

Then this happens:

While I do love Hamazushi, there's another cheap chain that I Iove more: 元気寿司 (げんきすし // Genki Sushi)!!

Rei and I used to go to the one in Kawasaki quite a bit:

(Photo taken from Google Maps.)

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How to Enjoy 回転寿司

There are two ways to get food at a 回転寿司 place.

First, you can just grab plates that are coming around on the conveyor belt:

Or you can (in many cases) order using a touchscreen menu:

If possible, try to find a 回転寿司 place with a touchscreen menu.

If there's no touchscreen menu, you can often just call out to one of the sushi chefs in the middle of the restaurant when you want to make a custom order. It depends on the layout of the place.

Even if there are sushi chefs that you can call out custom orders to, there might also be a call button that will alert a server that you want to order something that's not on the sushi menu... like miso soup, beer, desserts, or (Rei's favorite) 茶碗蒸し (ちゃわんむし), which my dictionary describes as "savory steamed egg custard with chicken, mushrooms, etc." Careful you don't burn your tongue because 茶碗蒸し comes out HOT:

At the Hamazushi places I've been to, music plays when a plate of sushi that you ordered is coming around to your table.

Some places, like that Genki Sushi in Kawasaki I mentioned above, have a separate track for ordered food that stops at your table. You can see Rei picking up some of the sushi we ordered here:

Whether or not you're indulging in some fancy beverages that cost money, make sure to get your fill of all-you-can-drink hot green tea.

See the cups at the top of the following photo?

Grab one of those. Then put some green tea powder in it:

Then use the hot water dispenser beside your table:

Chopsticks, soy sauce, dishes, wasabi, and ginger are also right there beside you:

Eat as much food as you can bear:

...and don't forget to be a bit adventurous...

...then at the end call a server to come and count your plates, beer mugs, etc.:

The server will calculate how much you owe, and then you can go and pay at the front counter.

Repeat as desired.

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Useful Japanese:

カリフォルニアロールって日本にもありますか？
カリフォルニアロール　って　にほん　に　も　あります　か？
Do they have California rolls in Japan, too?
Literally: “California roll + って + Japan + にも + have / there is + か?”

ありますよ。そんなに人気じゃないですけど。
あります　よ。　そんなに　にんき　じゃない　です　けど。
Yes. They’re not that popular, though.
Literally: “have / there is + よ. + (not) that much + popular + are not (=じゃない) + です + but.”

回転寿司で何皿くらい食べる？
かいてんずし　で　なん　さら　くらい　たべる？
About how many plates do you eat at conveyor-belt sushi?
Literally: “conveyor-belt sushi / rotating sushi + で + how many plates (=what + plate) + about / approximately + eat?”

回らないお寿司屋さん行きたい！
まわらない　おすしやさん　いきたい！
I want to go to a non-conveyor-belt sushi place!
Literally: "doesn't revolve + sushi shop + want to go!"
Note: The nuance is that the speaker wants to go to a nicer sushi place, not a cheap conveyor-belt sushi place.