What is the name of the sushi conveyor belt system?

The name of the sushi conveyor belt system is kaitenzushi, also written as kaiten-zushi. The Japanese term means “rotating sushi,” describing plates that travel past diners on a continuously moving conveyor.

The first modern conveyor-belt sushi restaurant is generally credited to Yoshiaki Shiraishi, who opened Mawaru Genroku Sushi in Higashiōsaka in 1958. He reportedly got the idea after seeing beer bottles move along a conveyor at an Asahi brewery. The format later spread widely, especially after gaining attention at the 1970 Osaka World Expo.

Kaitenzushi is a restaurant style rather than a particular sushi recipe. Customers usually select plates directly from the belt, while prices may be identified by plate color, pattern, or shape. Many restaurants also use touchscreens and separate lanes for special orders.

A common mix-up is confusing kaitenzushi with shabu-shabu, izakaya, or yakiniku. Shabu-shabu is a hot-pot dish, an izakaya is a Japanese-style pub, and yakiniku refers to grilled meat. Outside Japan, conveyor-belt sushi is also sometimes called a “sushi train.”