Hint: it’s in a brewery.

The previous president of Genroku Sushi, who was suffering from a labor shortage, suddenly went on a tour of a beer factory. Seeing bottles flowing on a conveyor belt, he came up with the idea of “Mawaru Sushi.
The idea was to break the common belief that sushi should be handed to customers over the counter.

It was the 1950s, at the height of the high-growth period. At Genroku Sushi, a standing sushi restaurant, workers from local factories and students formed a long queue. We don’t have enough staff. But they wanted more people to eat sushi. It was in this dilemma that the Mawaru-dai (rotating table) was born.
The name is “conveyor swivel dining table. It is both rugged and dependable.

It has been about 70 years since then.
Nowadays, everyone has seen the conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in every corner of the country at least once. The origin of this sushi conveyor belt is right here in Higashi-Osaka.

From the standard to the slightly unusual

Red tuna, toro salmon, and tamago-yaki (fried eggs). Along with the familiar faces, there are also a few unusual gunkan (warships) here and there.

Funghi Mushroom Quail” is a popular dish among the regulars.
A quail egg sits in the center, surrounded by mushrooms. The balance of saltiness and sweetness is exquisite. One bite is enough to make many people addicted.

Another appetizing dish is “Puripuri Prawn Mayo,” whose name alone is enough to whet your appetite.

As the name suggests, the plump prawns are wrapped in a homemade sweet sauce and play a prominent role. Both adults and children will find themselves reaching for another plate of this dish.

One of the pleasures of this restaurant is to look at the sushi as it comes around and think, “Which one should I try next?

Lunch alone at the counter

Inside Genroku Sushi, all seats are at the counter surrounding two lanes, one large and one small.
One of the characteristics of this restaurant is that many customers come alone.
They take a plate of sushi without saying a word, and take a bite or two. When they finish eating, they stand up and say, “Gochisoso-san. It’s kind of cool to see them like that.

Of course, it is not a bad idea to eat with friends and family.
The chef makes the sushi right in front of you, and when you order, the sushi is handed to you without passing through a lane, which is a little special for such a reasonably priced restaurant.

Inside the restaurant in the late afternoon.
The sound of sipping tea and the movement of hands picking up plates.
The atmosphere is pleasant, as people enjoy their sushi at their own pace.

It’s not just about “spinning. Something that will always remain the same.

A plate of sushi costs from 165 yen (as of 2025).
Even though the conveyor-belt sushi style has become the norm, Genroku Sushi continues to operate with the same philosophy.

Cheap, fast, and delicious.
It is a place where anyone can enjoy such sushi in a casual atmosphere.
Older men who have been coming here many times, mothers and daughters on their way home from shopping. There is a “good time in general” for everyone here.

The kaitenzushi (conveyor-belt sushi) is certainly an invention.
But perhaps even more than that, it was a “mechanism of gentleness.
The idea of that time is still spinning on the lane.