Sushi Trains

Sushi is very popular over here. They have what are called "kaiten zushi" restaurants over here...the ultimate fast-food sushi restaurant basically. What happens is, a never-ending round of different sushi comes around on small plates on a conveyor belt that goes around and around the whole restaurant. Typcially, each plate is priced 105 Yen, so you can keep track of your bill.

I'm vegetarian (sort of), so you probably wonder why I'd go to a sushi bar, when most of it is raw fish, right? Well, when I go to a sushi bar, my pickings always consists of: natto, egg, corn, shrimp-avocado (I pull the shrimp out!), and whatever else is edible, which doesn't consist of something that used to be alive. You probably think what the point of going to a kaiten zushi is if I'm not going to eat actual sushi, right?

Well, you see, I think kaiten zushi is entertainment in a way. Where in the States can you find a place where sushi just keeps coming and coming and you have to keep your eye out for whatever is heading your way, while you have your mouth full, and also remember to grab the next plate as it passes by you? It's really funny. It feels like a race in a way...at least I only have to keep my eyes out for about 4 different types of sushi, but for those of you who can eat real sushi, then it's a busy experience.

I went to a kaiten-zushi restaurant recently where for every 5 plates of sushi you send down the shoot, the electronic order screen starts beeping and a slot machine type of game automatically starts...if you win a little toy comes rolling down! It's entertainment, right?