The secret beneath conveyor belt sushi plates — the kitchen always knows what you've eaten!

▲What’s the secret beneath conveyor belt sushi plates? (Photo / TV Asahi)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

As plate after plate of conveyor belt sushi makes its way to you, its affordability and deliciousness make it hard to stop at just one. Japanese conveyor belt sushi is both cheap and tasty, and the rotating belt always seems to feature nigiri that tempts you to grab it. Ever wonder why? Because there’s a tiny chip hidden under each plate — the kitchen staff know exactly what you’ve taken and how many plates you’ve eaten.

Japanese conveyor belt sushi may seem like simple, everyday fare, but it hides some clever business tricks. Each plate has an IC chip attached underneath. The chefs instantly know which fish was eaten and when, allowing them to promptly restock the types of sushi being taken. Through these IC chips, restaurants can track what’s running low on the belt and replenish it in real time. In addition to chips under plates, some conveyor belt sushi shops place them on the lids instead.

▲Conveyor belt sushi is Japan’s affordable delicacy. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Thanks to these chips, conveyor belt sushi businesses also gain access to today’s most popular resource — big data. Analyzing nearly 1 billion records per year, they found that most Japanese people prefer tuna nigiri, and tend to eat half of their meal within the first 10 minutes. With big data analysis, they learn which types of sushi are most popular, cater to those preferences to encourage more orders, and avoid having unpopular sushi sitting on the belt and eventually going to waste.

In the early days, sushi was expensive because it relied on the craftsmanship of the chef, making it unaffordable for most people. In 1958, after seeing the beer bottle conveyor system at a brewery, the founder of Genroku Sushi, Shiraishi Yoshiaki, came up with the idea of conveyor belt sushi. This innovation cut labor costs, made nigiri more affordable and accessible, with each plate costing just 20 yen at the time.

Over time, conveyor belt sushi has evolved with many creative features, such as adding a reservation system where customers can order via screen, and the chefs prepare the order before sending it directly to the customer’s seat through another belt. Conveyor belt sushi has already saved businesses a lot of labor, but some go even further — used plates dropped into a recycling slot on the table are sent straight to the dishwasher in the back, and stacking five plates earns you a mini-game to add fun to your meal. (Source: TV Asahi)