Kura Sushi to Feature Iconic Dishes from 70 Countries, Regions at Osaka-Kansai Expo

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 12 (Bernama) -- Kura Sushi Inc, one of the world’s most popular conveyor-belt sushi chains, announced it will offer 70 new menu items at its restaurant that will open at the upcoming “Osaka-Kansai Expo”, set to open on April 13, 2025, in Yumeshima, Osaka.

The menu will feature dishes representing 70 countries and regions participating in the expo. This marks the largest-scale restaurant opening in the company’s history, with 338 seats and a 135-metre-long revolving belt, according to a statement.

The company is the only major revolving sushi chain in Japan to serve sushi on conveyor belts at all of its restaurants. Under the concept of “Revolving Belts Unite the World”, Kura Sushi aims to create an enjoyable, global dining experience for visitors.

Kura Sushi Executive Vice President, Makoto Tanaka expressed hope that despite the complex social issues facing the world today, their conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, symbolised by a continuous belt, will bring people together at the Expo for an enjoyable dining experience.

He emphasised that the menu, crafted by their Product Development Division, reflects the authentic flavours of the world and is designed to be enjoyed by both Japanese and international visitors, uniting them with smiles and a shared love for global cuisine.

The special menu, developed by Kura's product team, focuses on authentically replicating the flavours of each featured country. The company collaborated with various embassies to ensure the authenticity of 24 dishes. The menu will be served alongside Kura’s popular sushi offerings, creating a unique culinary experience reminiscent of exploring global food cultures.

In addition, the antibacterial sushi covers “Mr. Freshness”, which is being used for this special menu, has been specially designed with the connecting part appearing as red and blue hands shaking, the signature colours of the expo.

To help build momentum for the Expo, special Expo menus will be offered ahead of time at about 550 restaurants nationwide, starting Feb 7, 2025. Each store will feature one dish from the expo menu, allowing customers to enjoy different global flavours by visiting multiple Kura Sushi locations.

Kaitenzushi (Revolving Sushi Restaurant) is said to have spread throughout Japan after attracting attention at the Osaka Expo in 1970. Since then, Kaitenzushi has steadily expanded its market size while evolving in various ways over its 50-year history and is now a leading business category in the evolution of the Japanese food service industry, with sales exceeding 800 billion Japanese yen. (100 Japanese yen = RM2.90)

Going forward, the company will continue to leverage its strength, the revolving belt, to provide customers in Japan and overseas with the memorable enjoyment that only Kura Sushi can offer, thereby expanding the revolving sushi business model, a wonderful business model that originated in Japan, to the entire world.

As of the end of November, Kura Sushi operates 547 restaurants in Japan, 70 in the United States, 59 in Taiwan, and three in Shanghai.

-- BERNAMA