KURA SUSHI

This is a dining experience as hi-tech and traditional Japanese as you will get; futuristic for most visitors to Japan.

Extremely popular with locals and mainland visitors. The main reason why? Most sushi dishes are priced at JPY 100. Superb value for fresh maguro, toro, salmon, uni, ebi, tempura shrimp, and at least two to three dozen other varieties of sushi, sushi rolls and tempura, one as good as the other.

The method, hi-tech; the taste and presentation, as traditional as can be expected in much more pricey places.

There will be a queue out the door. You get a reservation ticket by touch screen upon arriving at the restaurant where the waiting time is indicated.

Once seated, green tea is self-served at a hot water spout on your table.

You place your orders by touch screen. It arrives like an express Shikansen train on a conveyor belt which stops precisely next to your table. You order; the dish comes in less than a minute, freshly made. You pile up sushi dishes in no time. You didn't think you could eat so much - for so little cash.

At the end of the meal, you insert empty dishes on a "dish slot". Every five dishes gets you a spin on the video screen for a chance at prizes, not unlike a mini-pachinko. Prizes are uniquely Japanese thingamajigs, little Anime figurines and stuff. Fun for the kids! And for the big kids as well.

You push a buzzer for the wait staff who tallies up the bill. You pay, credit cards accepted, and get ready for your next visit to Kura Sushi, which you know will happen soon enough.

There is a reservations system in Japanese through EPARK but international visitors will have difficulty accessing this. Rakuten point cards are used at Kura Sushi.

You congratulate yourself for this fantastic discovery and dining experience!