Himawari Sushi Shintoshin — Restaurant in Tokyo

Disclosure: This is an English friendly restaurant. English menus are available and some of the staff speak enough English to make everything work. They are super friendly as well!

For those new to conveyor belt sushi restaurants this is how it works.

When you walk in, take a seat at the counter. There will be clean mugs on the counter along with soy sauce, pickled ginger and a little short ceramic container. Open the short little container and spoon yourself a few scoops of green tea power into a mug. There will be a spigot (tap) on the counter near you for hot water, push the black button with the mug and hot water will pour out. Green tea is free.

For food, plates of sushi and other items will move by you at the counter on a conveyor belt. Plates are colour or design coordinated to a price. There will be a legend on the counter which will tell you how much each colour costs. The prices ranged from ¥150 to ¥500. When you spot something you like to eat, take the plate off the conveyor belt (if the plate is on a little riser tray or its a plate with a little sign on it leave those on there). There is usually a plate with a sign on it with a picture of sushi and words telling you what it is (English mainly but there was French and Spanish on some as well) and then the plates following will have that item on it.

There's also an English menu for those who ask for it which will have pictures, the English name and how to say it in Japanese. This is handy because if there is something you want and it hasn't come around on the conveyor belt you can just order it from the chefs in the centre of the sushi counter.

When you are done with eating, ask on of the wait staff ( it the chefs) for the bill (not the cheque, they didn't understand what I meant when I asked for the cheque) and they will tally up the plates to calculate your bill. You take the little slip they will give you to the front where there a cash register and pay there.

Now for the review on the food!

There is a lot of variety and selection of sushi all of which taste good. It's an inexpensive restaurant so with that taken into consideration the quality is good for the price. You are getting good value and a fun time & atmosphere. Two people can eat well under ¥3,500. We did...

September 2024 updated review Upon my return to Japan, and back to Himawari Kaitenzushi. It's still unbelievable affordable in the modern world where inflation is running rampant, and yet remains unapologisingly delicious. The cuts are a little thinner then I remember, but the quality, the atmosphere is just amazing true to what Japan is. DO NOT GO TO KURA Sushi, you get none of the atmosphere as you interact with no one and the sushi is just subpar. They have done well to promote themselves at prime locations and via influencers/YouTube, but it is not how you should enjoy sushi in Japan period. Himawari is full of tourists as it's in a tourist location, but it's also frequented by locals, the ones who shout over their orders to the sushi chefs in the middle, very old school and the way Kaitenzushi should be enjoyed. Today I had 3 types of Toro, chu-toro, Buri, Hamachi, Ama-ebi, Madai (red sea bream, a new one for me and delicious), all for a bargain price of ¥1,700 (£8.50), about the cost for a pint of beer back in London.

Himawari was the first ever restaurant I ate at when I first arrived in Japan in the summer of 2004. I left Japan after 3 years. I have returned to Japan four times since, and every time I do I make sure I make the pilgrimage to Himawari Sushi. It's probably considered very old school now, no touchscreen tablets here, no fancy elaborate menus. Locals that come here still shout out their order to the chefs in the middle. It creates such a great and authentic atmosphere. The food is simple and unpretentious, and most importantly the food is delicious. Considering where this restaurant is located (prime location in Shinjuku West exit), the prices are still amazingly affordable. My wife and I had a total of 16 plates (including sashimi and expensive o-toro, chu-toro and uni) and the bill was 4,500 yen for the two of us. If you're in the area and in the mood for sushi, there is no better place than...

Himawari Sushi is a classic conveyor belt sushi place that are part of the sushi restaurant stereotype! It’s a small place, maybe 20 seats!

While the menu is a big one, for vegetarians they have 7 different types of sushi! We tried all of them!

Inari - sweet rice inside a sushi bag - really tasty!

The other 6 are more in the mould of regular sushi. We liked all of them except the Fermented Soy Beans Roll!

The Menu is quite simple, the veg ones are marked out with a red / pink square! For these, it’s best to tell the hostess and she will convey to the chefs! The chefs just hand over your sushi across the counter to you!

There is free soup (probably fish stock so we didn’t go for it) and free matcha tea along with loads of pickled ginger to go with the sushi!

The pricing is superb! Every sushi plate is priced at JPY 150 for typically 6 pcs! Super cheap compared to any sushi we have eaten in India! And of course super...