A note on the words: kaiten-zushi is conveyor-belt sushi, where plates travel along a belt and made-to-order items zoom directly to your booth along a high-speed express lane. Shari is the seasoned vinegared sushi rice, which can be ordered in half-portions from the tablet, though not for rolls to try more varieties. Buri is mature yellowtail, paired here with sudachi, an aromatic green Japanese citrus; akaebi is sweet red shrimp; kanpyo maki is a thin sushi roll stuffed with sweet simmered dried gourd; aji is horse mackerel; and akagai is red ark shell clam.
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Kura Zushi Harajuku ten on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Thinking I might go for conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi) for a change, I checked whether there was one nearby, and what do you know—there’s a “Kura Zushi” in Harajuku. You can make reservations at kaiten-zushi places these days! It’s so easy because you just book ahead and show up at that time. It’s located on the fourth floor of Y-M Square Harajuku, just past Takeshita Street. Stepping out of the elevator onto the fourth floor, an amazing sight awaited, ha.
What on earth is this, ha! Is this really conveyor-belt sushi?! It certainly feels like Harajuku.
Apparently it’s a global flagship store, and this must be the glitziest, most glittering branch around here.
So, I started ordering whatever caught my eye. When you place individual orders, they arrive directly at your seat via something like an express lane. During crowded times it might not be available, so it’s best to order patiently and take your time.
First up was the sudachi buri (yellowtail)! By the way, I ordered every piece with half-size rice. It’s nice and easy being able to specify things like that on the tablet. The yellowtail might just be ordinarily tasty. Definitely a totally acceptable standard. Incidentally, I noticed that everything at Kura Zushi is served without wasabi as standard. Apparently wasabi comes circulating along in little packets, so you grab them and use them yourself.
Red shrimp (akaebi). Yep, this might be tasty too. Red shrimp is cheap and good, which makes it great. I often use it at home too.
Dirt cheap, ha—115 yen?! What kind of tuna is this, I wonder? Well, of course it’s tasty, but there might not be much umami to it.
The fries end up costing more than the sushi, ha! Fries are undeniably good, but they’re burning hot, so watch out.
At a glance it looks like a lot, but you can’t order rolls with half-size rice, ha!
The one where I forgot to select half-size rice… It has a crunchy bite, but there might not be much umami? It’s like a tiny abalone-ish shellfish!
The ark shell (akagai), there might have been a hint of fishiness to it.
Since I only intended to have a quick bite for lunch, I wrapped it up here! You tap the check-out button on the tablet, walk over to the register, and pay by yourself. This kind of automation is something every restaurant should really adopt. Honestly, being able to settle it right on the tablet with a QR payment would be the absolute best, though, ha!
I think it’s nonsense to compare whether it’s truly delicious or not against a traditional restaurant, but it was cheap and thoroughly enjoyable! Compared to kaiten-zushi of the old days, it has gotten so much tastier. Being able to reserve and breeze right in is great too. By the time I was leaving, the place was packed with crowds, but everyone really ought to just book ahead before coming.
Kura Zushi Harajuku ten (Conveyor-belt sushi / Meiji-jingumae Station, Harajuku Station, Omotesando Station)
Tabelog lunch rating ★★★☆☆ 3.0
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
