By RYUICHIRO FUKUOKA/ Staff Writer
September 13, 2024 at 17:58 JST
An image inside the Osaka Expo outlet of Kura Sushi (Provided by Kura Sushi Inc.)
Sushi lovers attending the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo that will be held from April next year might want to make their first stop at an attraction outside of a country's pavilion.
Kura Sushi announced on Sept 12 that it will offer the longest sushi conveyor belt in the company's history at the expo, approximately 135 meters long.
The number of seats will also be the most in the sushi chain's history with 338.
Based on the concept of a “revolving conveyor belt that unites the world,” the outlet will serve food from around the world as side dishes and sushi toppings.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have stopped using conveyor belts, hoping to prevent infections and pranks being pulled on the dishes for social media.
Kura Sushi has said it is the only major chain that did not stop offering the conveyor belt experience. A company official noted that the phrase "non-rotating conveyor belt sushi" has become popular.
"However, we believe that conveyor belt sushi bars should live up to their names and convey sushi on the rotating belts," the Kura Sushi official said. "We want customers to enjoy the fun of it and hope that we can further expand our restaurants worldwide.”
The restaurant will be open throughout the expo, which will run from April 13 to Oct. 13, 2025.
Until now, the company’s longest conveyor belt had been 123 meters long at its Global Flagship Store Ginza in Tokyo. The company’s restaurant with the most seats, 288, had been in Taiwan.
The concept of conveyor belt sushi first drew attention nationwide when one such restaurant opened at the 1970 Osaka Expo.
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