Kyoto is famous for mackerel sushi? No, everyone loves conveyor-belt sushi! Four of Kyoto's Best Restaurants

I want sushi!" There are several times a year when you say to yourself, "Oh, I want sushi!
Since there is no ocean in the center of Kyoto, the culture of fish dishes cooked over fire or with vinegar has developed rather than the custom of eating raw fish since long ago. It is understandable that there are still many restaurants famous for their mackerel sushi.

However, in this era of 2025, there are many restaurants in Kyoto where you can enjoy delicious sushi!
So, let us introduce you to some recommended conveyor-belt sushi restaurants where you will be surprised by the taste!

Table of Contents

Daiki Suisan Conveyor-belt Sushi Kyoto Tower Sand Store

Nigiri Chojiro CHOJIRO Kyoto Avanti

Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Kyoto Station Porta Branch

Morimori Sushi Shijo Kawaramachi

Daiki Suisan Conveyor-belt Sushi Kyoto Tower Sand Store

We begin with a restaurant near Kyoto Station, the starting point of our Kyoto trip.Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi Kyoto Tower Sand StoreIt is.
It is located on the B1 floor of Kyoto Tower, a landmark of Kyoto that rises 131 meters above the ground, right in front of the central exit of Kyoto Station.

Daikki Suisan Group was founded in 1975 as a wholesaler. Focusing on freshness, we have developed unique routes throughout Japan and overseas. We have established a distribution system that purchases freshly caught seafood directly from producers and delivers it fresh. We are experts in fish, from fresh fish sales to the operation of conveyor-belt sushi restaurants.

This restaurant, which the author has visited many times, also sells sushi to-go in the store. The frontage is narrow, but there is a wide counter in the back, and you order using a tablet.

The most important thing to eat is tuna! Therefore, the must-have menu is the "Tuna Zukushi". You can compare five pieces of tuna in one dish: kamatoro, chutoro, akami, albacore, albacore, and tuna.
Just looking at the beautiful and unique-looking tuna is enough to raise one's spirits!
I started with the lean meat. It had little fat and I enjoyed the original flavor of the tuna.
The albacore tuna and kamatoro are fatty and melt-in-your-mouth. And my favorite, chutoro. Enjoy the taste and texture of the fusion of fat and lean meat.
Finally, the Ootoro. The rich fat melts in your mouth.
And since the price is more reasonable than ordering by the plate, there is no longer any reason not to order.
You can take one piece at a time, check your favorite part, and order that part again.

Daikki Suisan began operations as a wholesaler specializing in processed tuna in 1978. The company is dedicated to tuna and operates the "Machi no Minato Tuna Park" in Sakai, Osaka, in order to provide more customers with a taste of fresh, delicious tuna. That is why you can enjoy such reasonably priced and delicious tuna.

Another recommendation is the "Seared Hamachi Belly". I am not a big fan of oily fish, but this one is superb because the searing process adds the savory flavor of the charred fat to the original flavor and taste of the hamachi!

You can enjoy the same competition of fat and seared fat in the "Hon Maguro Aburi Ootoro" and "Aburi Aurora Salmon Trotter."
And here's some more good news for those who love seared seafood! The menu includes Seafood Aburi Zukushi, which includes Negi-Shio Seared Tuna, Seared Scallop with Soy Sauce Butter, Seared Salmon with Mayo, Seared Octopus with Marbling, and Seared Shrimp with Mayo all on one plate. You can enjoy to your heart's content the Seared All-Stars, which are never the same in taste.
It is no exaggeration to say that Daikki Suisan is a paradise for tuna & seared fish lovers!

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Daiki Suisan Conveyor-belt Sushi Kyoto Tower Sand Store
Address: B1F, 721-1 Higashishiokoji-cho, Shichijo-sagaru, Karasuma-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL: 075-746-2458

HP:https://www.daiki-suisan.co.jp/kyototower_sushi/

Nigiri Chojiro CHOJIRO Kyoto Avanti

Next stop.Nigiri Chojiro CHOJIRO Kyoto Avanti。
Kyoto Avanti is a commercial facility located just off the Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station, where you can enjoy subcultures, fashion, and restaurants, including GU, Animate, McDonald's, and Tully's Coffee.

Nigiri Chojiro CHOJIRO" is a brand for commercial facilities of "Nigiri Chojiro," the first of which was opened in Neyagawa in 2001. Although it is a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant chain, it has a fish tank and maintains a high quality level that is comparable to that of non-turnover sushi restaurants.

Worth a meal! The best menu item is the "Hana Hitohira" set. It includes 10 pieces of sushi, an egg, steamed egg custard, salad, and red miso soup at a reasonable price. From California rolls to salmon roe and sea urchin, you can enjoy a wide variety of flavors.

Of course, there is a large selection of individual items as well. The “Bluefin Tuna Tuna (one portion)” is so fatty and melting that it makes you want to roar, "That's what Chojiro is all about! The fat melts in your mouth. It is so delicious that it overturns the concept of conveyor-belt sushi.

The "Swimming Horse Mackerel Nigiri" is also a signature dish here. When ordered, a horse mackerel swimming in the fish tank is taken out and a whole horse mackerel is made into nigiri on the spot. The thick, firm, and tasty meat, with no fishy smell, is something you will not find at any other conveyor-belt sushi chain. The bone crackers that are served with the sushi are also very tasty! Crispy and "I want more! I never tasted horse mackerel this good! I can't believe how good a horse mackerel tastes!

The "Deep-fried Eggplant Dengaku (White)" is a must-order for me. The eggplant, whose deliciousness is concentrated by frying, is a perfect match with the slightly sweet dengaku based on white miso paste! This is also a dish that you won't find at any other chain.

“The ”Seasonal Menu" includes Hokkaido scallops, golden threadfin bream with its elegant fatty flesh, plump prawns, and snow crabs for the winter of 2023. The seasonal menu makes you want to visit all year round♪

In addition, the take-out menu is quite extensive. Nigiri sets for one to five people are available, including chirashi sushi such as Kaisen chirashi and Hokkai chirashi, rolls such as Chojiro maki, and Kyoto-style saba-zushi.
It is perfect for take-out when you want to spend a relaxing night at the inn after visiting many tourist attractions tonight.

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Nigiri Chojiro CHOJIRO Kyoto Avanti
Address: B1F Kyoto Avanti, 31 Higashi-Kujo Nishi Sanno-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto
TEL：075-644-9644

HP:https://www.chojiro.jp/shop/detail?id=68

Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Kyoto Station Porta Branch

The next one is located in Porta, an underground shopping mall also in the Kyoto Station area.Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Kyoto Station Porta BranchIt is.
Kanazawa Maimon Sushi is a conveyor-belt sushi chain from Kanazawa that offers fresh Hokuriku ingredients at reasonable prices.
Fish caught on the Noto Peninsula are delivered directly to each restaurant in refrigerated trucks.
You can enjoy seasonal ingredients from all over Japan as well as ingredients unique to Hokuriku, such as "gasu shrimp" and "white shrimp," which are even said to be unexplored outside of Ishikawa Prefecture.

The first recommendation here is "gasu-ebi. Gasu-ebi are brown-shelled shrimps eaten in Toyama and Ishikawa. In Ishikawa, there are two types of gasu-ebi: kurozako-ebi and spiny lobster. In Kanazawa, they are said to be more delicious than amaebi (sweet shrimp) and have captivated food connoisseurs. Its plump, sticky texture and rich, thick sweetness make it an enchanting delicacy that must be tried at least once.

The second recommendation is “Shiroebi” (white shrimp). Also known as the "white jewel of Toyama Bay," this rare shrimp caught in Toyama Bay is one of the representative ingredients of the Hokuriku region. Each shrimp is carefully peeled by hand and prepared into a gunkan, and its beautiful transparent white color shows its freshness. The sweetness of the shrimp melts in your mouth and fills your mouth with its exquisite taste. We recommend eating it with soy sauce or Noto salt, or without any sauce to enjoy the flavor of the ingredients.

The third recommendation is "Nodoguro Aburi.
Nodoguro is a high-end fish that is known as the king of white fish. If you simply enjoy the richness of the skin and melted fat with Noto salt, the unique aroma and richness of throat blackfish will fill your mouth. It is an elegant and supremely delicious experience!

It is a slightly mature, high-end conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, so once you go there, you may not be satisfied with other conveyor-belt sushi restaurants anymore (laugh).

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Kanazawa Maimon Sushi Kyoto Station Porta
Address: B1F Porta, Kyoto Station underground shopping mall, 902 Higashishioji-cho, Shiokoji-gori, Karasuma-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL: 075-371-1144

HP:https://www.maimon-susi.com/

Morimori Sushi Shijo Kawaramachi

Last but not least,morimori sushi shijo kawaramachiIt is.
This is located on the 8th floor of the Sumitomo Fudosan Kyoto Building facing the intersection of Shijo-Kawaramachi, one of the busiest streets in downtown Kyoto.
When you are in the Shijo/Kawaramachi area and want to eat sushi, go to this building marked by EDION!

And Morimori Sushi, like Kanazawa Maimon Sushi, is another sushi chain that originated in Kanazawa.
You can enjoy fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan delivered daily from the fishing ports of Kanazawa and Noto, and even the rice, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso are all produced in Hokuriku.
The restaurant is a favorite among locals, with lines of customers waiting in line, and has outlets in the Kanto, Chubu, and Kinki regions as well.

GASU-EBI", "SHIRAEBI", and "NODOKURO", introduced in the Kanazawa Maimon Sushi section, are also recommended here.
In addition to these, the "three-piece" and "five-piece" platters are also a must-try, with either three or five popular items on each plate.
The "Morimori Sanponzori" is a combination of chutoro (medium fatty tuna), uncooked sea urchin, and uncooked shrimp, all of which are the mainstay of the dish! We are sure that everyone has been wishing for a set like this. The "Yellowtail Three-Piece Platter" is also available. Thickly sliced back meat, yellowtail meat, and seared yellowtail. Everyone is sure to fall in love with amberjack.

Also, be sure to try the "bai gai"!
Bai clam is a shellfish caught in the deep sea near Toyama and Ishikawa, and is characterized by its exquisite crunchiness and elegant sweetness.
In addition to being eaten as sashimi for sushi, it is also enjoyed in a variety of other ways, such as seared or fried. If you go to the trouble of visiting a sushi restaurant from Kanazawa, try the ingredients loved in Hokuriku!

We also have a recommended rice bowl menu. It is "Daimyo-don," a too gorgeous bowl of rice topped with seafood!
In the fall, they serve shrimp and throat black, and in November and December, they sometimes use Kabako crab, for which the fishing season has just been opened.

In addition, you can taste a variety of Hokuriku sake to complement the delicious sushi. You will find Hokuriku sake such as "Fukumaso," "Sogen," "Takeba," "Kagatobi," and "Tateyama," which you may not find at other restaurants.

Because of all these great things about Morimori Sushi, you may have to wait several hours during peak hours at some restaurants.
What you may want to take advantage of is the take-out service. Reasonable set menus such as omakase nigiri sets and lunch-only nigiri sets are also available for take-out, and are recommended for a luxurious home and inn meal.

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Morimori Sushi Shijo Kawaramachi
Address: Sumitomo Fudosan Kyoto Building FOOD HALL 8F, 68 Shinmachi, Shijo-dori Kawaramachi Higashi-iru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto
TEL：075-708-7623

HP:https://www.kyoto-kawaramachigarden.com/foodhall/shop_009/