Japan can be a tough place to wrap your brain around. So much about the culture is slow, serene, and fastidiously careful - think about the painstakingly manicured grounds of a temple, or the soothing ritual of an outdoor bath. At the same time, so much about the culture is rapid, noisy, and numbingly chaotic - think about the flashing lights of a pachinko parlor, or the busy shuffle of a crowded street.
Nothing captures this contradiction quite like kaiten-zushi, or conveyor-belt sushi, which is for my money the best fast-food option in Japan. (I'd put ramen a very close second).
Conveyor-belt sushi is just what it sounds like: plate after plate of sushi, snaking its way around a restaurant, past the patron's hungry eyes. If you see something you like, you simply grab it and dig in, then pay by the plate at the end of the meal, with plates usually color-coded by price. You can also place special orders by filling out a little slip of paper, which is helpful during the lunch rush, when sometimes the pickins on the belt itself can get pretty slim.
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Overall, kaiten-zushi is a great blend of these two Japans:
On the one hand, you have sushi, which begs to be eaten with a sort of careful, focused attention - all the subtle flavors, folded into one momentary bite. (Still doesn't keep me from scarfing it down, though.)
On the other hand, you have this endless parade of colors and flavors, presented for your immediate gratification.
Put them together, and you get a shamefully large proportion of our calories every week, plus an insatiable desire to wear our chopsticks like walrus teeth.
Conveyor-Belt Sushi is to Sushi
ReplyDeleteAs Lady Gaga is to Haute Couture.