Eating at a Conveyor-Belt Sushi Restaurant in Tokyo — JLPT N5 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) and Mochi (モチ) are eating at a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant (回転寿司) in Tokyo. They order from the touch panel and call the staff member (店員さん).
ヤッタン、これ、タッチパネルで注文するよ。
ヤッタン、これ、タッチパネルで ちゅうもんするよ。
Yattan, look — you order with this touch panel.
へえ、便利だね。じゃあ、これをください。
へえ、べんりだね。じゃあ、これを ください。
Wow, handy. Then, I'll have this one, please.
ぼくはそれ。マグロが好きなんだ。
ぼくは それ。マグロが すきなんだ。
I'll have that one. I love tuna.
すみません、お茶はどこですか。
すみません、おちゃは どこですか。
Excuse me, where is the tea?
お茶は、この蛇口から出ますよ。粉が入っています。
おちゃは、この じゃぐちから でますよ。こなが はいっています。
The tea comes from this tap. The powder is already inside.
ありがとうございます。あの、お手洗いはどこですか。
ありがとうございます。あの、おてあらいは どこですか。
Thank you. Um, where is the restroom?
あちらです。奥にありますよ。
あちらです。おくに ありますよ。
Over there. It's at the back.
すみません、お会計をお願いします。
すみません、おかいけいを おねがいします。
Excuse me, the check, please.
はい。お皿を数えますね。
はい。おさらを かぞえますね。
Certainly. I'll count your plates.
Key expressions
- これ／それをください — "This one / that one, please." これ is near you, それ is near the listener. At kaitenzushi you can just point at the panel or the belt and say これをください without knowing the dish's name.
- 〜をください — "Please give me ~." The all-purpose way to order or ask for something: お茶をください, ビールをください. It's built on the same ください as the 〜てください request pattern.
- 〜はどこですか — "Where is ~?" Your single most useful location question: お手洗いはどこですか (restroom), 出口はどこですか (exit).
- お会計をお願いします — "The check, please." お願いします is a softer, very common alternative to ください when you're asking staff to do something for you.
About conveyor-belt sushi (回転寿司)
At a 回転寿司 you order almost entirely from a touch panel (タッチパネル), and your dishes zip over on a special express lane (特急レーン) above the slower belt. Pricing is by the colour of the plate (皿の色) — each colour is a fixed price — so at the end the staff simply count and stack your plates. Most places have a hot-water tap for green tea (あがり): drop in the powder and add hot water yourself. If the panel defeats you, the one phrase to remember is 「これをください」 while pointing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to talk to a waiter at conveyor-belt sushi?
Usually very little. You order from the touch panel, and dishes arrive on the belt or express lane. You mainly call staff for tea help, the restroom, or お会計 (the bill) at the end.
How do I ask for the bill in Japanese?
Say お会計をお願いします ('the check, please') or お会計をください. The staff will come and count your plates to total up the bill.
What is あがり?
あがり is the sushi-shop word for green tea. At kaitenzushi there's often a hot-water tap at your seat plus tea powder, so you make it yourself — no need to order it.