Japan’s conveyor belt sushi restaurants (or kaitzenzushi restaurants, as they’re called in Japanese) are at a bit of an identity crossroads. Making up a whole bunch of plates of sushi ahead of time ...

After years as a standard sit-down establishment, the Japanese restaurant has made the transition ... the maze of conveyor belts and booths to the miniature trains delivering plates of food ...

Suburban restaurants, which constitute 85 percent of the company’s approximately 640 outlets nationwide, served sushi on 120-yen ($0.86) yellow plates, 180-yen red plates and 360-yen black plates.

At conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, plates of sushi rotate past diners who can choose what they like. Many sushi emporia also feature tablets or touchscreens, where customers can place an order ...

Manager Ryo Shibazaki says on a busy dinner service, they go through about 3,000 plates of sushi — that’s a lot of badges. Beyond the novelty and fun of the conveyor belt, Kura is a solid and ...

Guests can pick plates off a conveyor belt, or order specific dishes to be delivered on a "sushi highway." All sushi plates are $4, and guests receive prizes for eating certain amounts.