Kura Sushi’s Ginza Flagship Unveils Edo-Period Vibes, Live Food Prep & Longest Conveyor Belt

Kura Sushi, Inc. runs the “Kura Sushi” chain where sushi travels on a conveyor belt. They will open their sixth big store, “Kura Sushi Global Flagship Store Ginza,” in Japan on Thursday, April 25, 2024, inside Marronnier Gate Ginza 2. This store was made by Kashiwa Sato, a top creative director in Japan, and it’s the first big sushi chain to open in the Ginza area.

More tourists visited Japan in March 2024 than ever before, so the demand for tourists coming into Japan is going up fast. Tokyo has more highly-rated restaurants in a global guide than any other city, and Ginza is known for having some of Japan’s best places to eat.

That’s why in Ginza, a place that attracts food lovers from around the world, Kura Sushi is opening a big store that’s also made for visitors from other countries. It’s all about entertainment in the style of Edo, the old name for Tokyo from 1603 to 1868.

The store will have “Kura Koedo,” inspired by food stalls from the Edo period in pictures by the artist Utagawa Hiroshige. Here, staff will make sushi, tempura, and rice dumplings right in front of customers, giving them the feeling of watching a live show.   The store will have Kura Sushi’s longest conveyor belt ever, so customers can enjoy the fun of sushi going around in circles, a special thing about Kura Sushi. Like the other big stores, the inside will have a modern Japanese design with pictures and lanterns, and there will be wooden tables and seats made of tatami mats.

The features of Kura Sushi Global Flagship Store Ginza include “Kura Koedo,” which recreates scenes from Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock prints. This space, inspired by Hiroshige’s depictions of Edo (Tokyo during the Edo period, 1603-1868), is a first for any Kura Sushi store. One of Hiroshige’s prints, “Famous Views of the Eastern Capital, Amusements While Waiting for the Moon on the Twenty-sixth Night at Takanawa,” adorns the walls of Kura Sushi’s global flagship stores. It portrays the people of Edo celebrating the twenty-sixth day of the seventh month in Japan’s old lunisolar calendar, a Buddhist holiday when people would pray to the moon. The print vividly illustrates Edo’s culture, with scenes of food stalls for sushi, tempura, soba noodles, and sweets, as well as fireworks, a man in an octopus costume, and people in beautiful kimonos.

In line with the ukiyo-e print, “Kura Koedo” will feature food stalls for sushi, tempura, and skewered rice dumplings, set amid a “fireworks” display. These food stalls will offer freshly prepared, made-to-order dishes that customers can order from their seats. The aim is to transport customers back to the Edo period, allowing them to enjoy authentic food-stall performances in a space reminiscent of that time.

Limited Edition Items at Kura Sushi Global Flagship Store Ginza:

*Certain dishes will be available only until the planned quantity runs out.

Store Overview