Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten, Osaka: birthplace of revolving sushi

Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi / Ganso Mawaru Genroku Sushi (元祖廻る元禄寿司) is a Japanese sushi chain known as the birthplace of conveyor belt sushi (revolving sushi, rotation sushi, kaiten sushi, or kaiten zushi: 回転寿司). Here’s what their first location (since 1958) in Fuse, Osaka looks like.

Revolving sushi also known as rotation sushi, kaiten sushi, or kaiten zushi (回転寿司) was invented by a Japanese businessman Shiraishi Yoshiaki (白石義明) who opened the world’s first revolving sushi restaurant Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi / Ganso Mawaru Genroku Sushi (元祖廻る元禄寿司) in 1958 in Fuse (布施), Osaka. Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi is now a well-known revolving sushi chain. Their first location ‘Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten (元祖廻る元禄寿司本店)’ still stands on its birthplace.

Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten.

The entrance of Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten.

Inside Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten.

Through Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten’s eye-catching facade of purple lights and garish neons is a down-to-earth, retro revolving sushi chain. The dining room facing the kitchen beyond the rotating sushi lane (conveyor belt) smells like a street fish market. The background music of retro chic piano tunes reminded me of expensive sushi as one used to be. This is incredibly Japanese.

Ganso Mawaru Genrokuzushi Honten’s menu.

Besides sushi dishes on the rotating sushi lane, customers can order food and drink from two laminated double-sided print menus. I ordered “Whale skin (くじら本皮)” and Fugu karaage (フグの唐揚げ: deep-fried poisonous puffer fish) from the menus instead of grabbing one from the rotating sushi lane. Waiters chanted “Secret order coming!” Secret broken in the politest possible way. This is incredibly Japanese.

Fugu karaage (フグの唐揚げ). 380 yen / $2.90. Meaty, fluffy, and juicy. It tasted as good as the best edible frog I had eaten before, which made this dish way better than ordinary chicken fingers. Or I could say “It was one of the best fish and chips fish.”