Kura Sushi

Personal experience

We went for lunch on a weekday in July at the Kura Sushi Plus restaurant in Kyoto, after making a reservation through the Kura Sushi app. This is a restaurant we often visit with our child. It’s located about a 10-minute walk from the Shijō-Kawaramachi intersection, the busiest shopping area in Kyoto, and about 5 minutes from Sanjō-Kawaramachi. The restaurant is on Shinkyōgoku Street, right next to the MOVIX cinema.

It’s a fairly spacious restaurant with booth seating separated by noren curtains, which allows guests to enjoy a pleasant and relaxed meal.

Lately, foreign customers have far outnumbered Japanese customers at Kura Sushi restaurants, regardless of the time of day. Even if you try to make a same-day reservation on-site, it’s often fully booked for one to two hours. That’s why we strongly recommend booking in advance.

⚠️ Important: Even if you have made a reservation in advance, you must check in at the self-service kiosk at the entrance of the restaurant upon arrival.
If you don’t, your number may never be called.

✅ However, if you have made a reservation in advance and checked in at the kiosk, you will be called at or around the scheduled time, even if there is a crowd in front of the restaurant.
The call is made using the registration number displayed on the screen.

We had made a reservation for 12:00 via the app and arrived at the restaurant almost on time. The restaurant is located in the basement. After going down the stairs, you’ll find a check-in tablet immediately on the right, where you need to register upon arrival. You’ll be asked whether or not you have a reservation. If you do, you must enter your reservation number and wait in the waiting area until your number is called.
As you go a little further inside the restaurant, there is a monitor hanging from the ceiling displaying the numbers being called. Customers must wait for their number to appear before being guided to their table.
When we visited, although it was lunchtime, only a few people were waiting in the area, and we waited for about five minutes before our number was called.

Once your number is called, you need to go to the tablet located below the screen to complete a second confirmation. You must check that the number being called matches yours, confirm the number of people in your party, and then press the button. A ticket showing your table number will be printed. Simply take the ticket and proceed to the table with the indicated number.

Once seated at your table, you’ll find a touchscreen tablet that allows you to place your order directly. You can also pick sushi from the conveyor belt running beside the table. Tea cups are placed on the upper shelf, and you can help yourself to tea using the hot water dispenser located on the table. The powdered green tea is stored in a small recessed section in the center of the table. Simply scoop one or two spoonfuls (depending on your taste) into your cup, then fill it with hot water from the tap installed on the table. Please be careful, as the water is extremely hot—make sure not to burn yourself while preparing your tea.

In the recessed compartment at the center of the table, you’ll find not only powdered green tea, but also wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger, chopsticks, and spoons. Feel free to take what you need. Additionally, there is a self-service station in the restaurant where you’ll find wet wipes, straws, children’s plates, and more. Don’t hesitate to help yourself.

On the side of the table opposite the touchscreen tablet, you’ll also find a printed menu. You can use it to browse the available dishes. Both the tablet and the printed menu include photos for most items, making it very easy to understand the selections.

When you begin ordering via the tablet, it first asks whether you’d like to participate in the “Bikkura Pon” game and whether you wish to increase your chances of winning. At our daughter’s request, we always choose to boost the winning odds. This adds 10 yen to the price of each plate, but in return, you theoretically have a one-in-three chance of winning a prize from the Bikkura Pon game.

This time again, we followed our daughter’s wish and opted to increase the chances of winning in the Bikkura Pon game. We also intended to start, as usual, by ordering the “Special 6-Piece Selected Set with Bikkura Pon” (Special Bikkura Pon Set), but to our surprise, it was not listed on the menu this time. This set typically includes an assortment of about six pieces of sushi and always comes with a small gashapon-style toy as a Bikkura Pon prize. It’s a menu item our daughter always orders without fail.

The Bikkura Pon game begins when five empty plates are inserted into the designated slot at the table. Once the plates are inserted, a mini-game automatically starts on the tablet, revealing whether you’ve won or lost. If you win, a surprise capsule (gachapon) is automatically dispensed from the machine above the table. However, it’s important to note that certain dishes cannot be inserted into the Bikkura Pon slot—this includes items served on deep plates, such as alcoholic beverages or specific side dishes. These items are therefore not counted toward the game.

I’ve always thought it was a shame that higher-priced items like alcoholic drinks weren’t included in the Bikkura Pon game. However, I recently learned that when ordering through a smartphone, you can participate in the game once for every 550 yen spent—even with these special items. So, I decided to try this option for the first time during this visit.

To order via a smartphone, simply scan the QR code located at the bottom right of the tablet. Once the code is scanned, the menu will appear on your phone. On this mobile menu, items that are eligible for the Bikkura Pon game are clearly marked. These dishes only count for the game if they are ordered through the smartphone. Therefore, it is much more advantageous to place orders via your mobile device. The phone and tablet are perfectly synchronized, and any order placed on the phone is instantly reflected on the tablet. For items without the Bikkura Pon mark on the mobile menu, it’s perfectly fine to order them directly from the tablet. During our visit, we placed orders using both devices, and everything was seamlessly consolidated on the tablet without any issues.

This time, by ordering from our smartphone for the first time, we were pleasantly surprised to see a significant increase in the number of Bikkura Pon games we could play. As a result, we won 5 prizes—that means 5 wins! Previously, it was rare for us to win more than two or three times, but thanks to the smartphone ordering system, we were able to play many more rounds, which made our daughter very happy.

Incidentally, during our visit, it happened to be the start of the second phase of the Chiikawa collaboration campaign. Therefore, all Bikkura Pon prizes were Chiikawa-themed items. Additionally, for every 2,500 yen spent, customers received a Chiikawa fan. However, this gift is not handed out automatically—you must present your receipt to a staff member after paying in order to claim it. When the campaign features popular merchandise, it’s not uncommon for items to run out or for only limited choices to remain. Fortunately, since the second phase had just begun, we were able to choose from all four available fan designs.

At this restaurant, payment is not made through the staff but rather via a self-service kiosk located at the center of the restaurant. You need to scan the slip with your table number, which you received during check-in. However, before proceeding to the kiosk to pay, it is essential to press the “Checkout” button on the tablet at your table. If this step is skipped, you won’t be able to complete the payment at the kiosk.

Kura Sushi is a particularly fun place for children. In addition to sushi, the menu also includes a wide variety of ramen, fried foods, and desserts. Everything is offered at very reasonable prices, making it an ideal spot for families.