Once-in-a-lifetime dining at Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo will break records, unify the world and amaze you with top-notch technology, sustainable menus, diverse sushi, and international cuisine from all over the world. Osaka, the location of Kura Sushi’s headquarters (HQ), is the perfect host. Samurai called the prefecture Japan’s Kitchen, and Meiji revolutionaries called it the City of Water. In 1958, the first kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi or sushi train) opened in Osaka, and the 1970 World Expo in Osaka popularised the concept. Let yourself be tempted. Will you enjoy unheard-of sushi during your exploration of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka/Kansai, or will you enjoy the world-class event simply because you’re a foodie?
Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo is Uniting the World
Reflecting the theme of Expo 2025 “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”, Kura Sushi will open a high-tech sustainable restaurant with novel fusion menus fostering a sense of potential, hope, and friendly neighbourhood, as well as multicultural awareness and an appreciation of the world’s diversity. This next-generation model will break records, innovate, and celebrate more than just Japanese food culture under a “One World” concept.
Longest ever for a sushi store, Kura Sushi’s conveyor belt will be longer than the distance from the home plate to the batter's eye screen of the Dodger Stadium. Where a typical belt stretches only to 90 metres, this one will connect worldwide sushi lovers and curious gourmets over a staggering 135 metres. Within the 800㎡ space, the conveyor belt will reach private box seats with tatami that can accommodate groups of up to six people, including wheelchair-accessible tables.
Kura Sushi will offer representative cuisines from around the world, tasted and validated by each embassy to complement its classic favourites. This internationalisation will let you enjoy a truly unique dining experience only possible at Expo 2025. Bookmark this article for exciting updates in January!
The sushi store’s advanced, big data, artificial intelligence and user-friendly technologies developed by Kura Sushi over decades will boost already first-rate efficiency, quality control, and hygiene.
Mirroring Japan’s fishing tradition and membership of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, Kura Sushi demonstrates an unwavering commitment to taste and the health of the oceans:
- Kura Sushi developed a “sushitainable” (sustainable sushi) menu with fishermen featuring responsibly-sourced and lesser-known fish. Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.4 about sustainable fishing, it reduces pressure on popular species to avoid overfishing and conserve marine resources.
- Through its Wild Fish Project launched in 2010, Kura Sushi directly buys fish—including whole-boat catches—from 120 fishing ports and fisheries cooperatives, spearheading sustainable fishing practices and stabilising the income of fishermen. In the end, the lack of intermediaries lowers prices for travellers like you.
- Kura Sushi also breeds fish. For instance, it nurtures fish too small for immediate consumption and raises species that smell/taste bad until fed in specific ways (e.g. cabbage instead of seaweed). In the frame of the Fish 100% Project, unsellable pieces of fish are turned into powdered feed for other fish, which is sometimes mixed with citrus oil or peel for a final fruity taste.
- More modestly, the natural plaster of the Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo restaurant’s exterior walls adds a touch of sustainability and a connection to the oceans through the use of seaweed-based glue and 336,000 recycled seashells. Inside, the wooden tables and pillars resonate with the two km Grand Ring of the Expo venue.
Curious? Excited? Buy your Expo 2025 tickets without hesitation, and quickly book your hotel.
An Outstanding Conveyor-Belt Sushi Chain
From a humble takeout sushi store in 1977 to a revolving sushi chain across Japan and beyond, Kura Sushi Corporation prioritises food safety through its longstanding “additive-free” policy. Other hallmarks include pioneering automation, fun ambiances, and varied menus with casual and luxurious touches. Of course, deliciousness, purposeful textures and fine looks remain critical to its astounding success.
Kura Sushi’s food safety was founded on the avoidance of artificial preservatives, artificial sweeteners, chemical seasonings, and synthetic colouring agents. Since 1997, its system discards sushi on the conveyor belt beyond a set duration. And nine years before the COVID-19 pandemic, all Kura Sushi stores were already covering their sushi to protect eaters from airborne viruses, spit and dust.
50+ patents for Kura Sushi smart restaurants let customers do everything, from reception to payment, without staff intervention. Its touch-panel ordering spread in 1999, mobile phone queueing/booking in 2000, and remote operational support from HQ in 2011. The slots in which eaters insert finished plates count for a “Bikkurapon!” lottery (hopefully winning a capsule toy every five plates), count for later payment, and lead the plates to the washing area. You can thus enjoy uninterrupted lively discussions with friends and get great service.
Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo restaurant will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience but its 543 stores nationwide share a core design and menu, with special elements at global flagship stores. Seafood sushi dishes are complemented by specialty-store quality ramen and tempting desserts. With animated fireworks, the Ginza store features festive Japanese foods such as dango, and premium sets. The Kura Sushi Asakusa ROX store won the international “Best of the Best” Red Dot Design Award for architectural design, and the Harajuku store features crepes and rainbowy decorations.
At Ginza global flagship store
As its multilingual tablets, continuous adaptation and success abroad demonstrate, Kura Sushi knows how to satisfy international diners. Launched in 2008 in Los Angeles, Kura Sushi USA now operates 61 stores. Launched in 2014 in Taipei, Kura Sushi Asia (except Japan) now operates 56 stores in Taiwan. When you enter Kura Sushi in a new country, look for dishes you have never tasted!
Planning Your Memorable Sushi Expo Adventure
The Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo restaurant will open its doors from 13 April to 13 October 2025. To create symbolic memories or avoid peak crowds, remember:
- 08 June – World Oceans Day, recognized by the United Nations.
- 18 June – International Sushi Day.
- 21 July – Marine Day, Japanese public holiday.
Most Kura Sushi restaurants in Japan have wheelchair accessible tables. Please search in English on the official website for more details.
Secure your Expo 2025 tickets and accommodation in Osaka as soon as possible. Feel free to contact our travel agents in English, French, German or Italian to craft your customised Expo trip from landing to takeoff, including sushi-centric adventures like charming fishing villages, bustling fish markets, world-class knives, cooking lessons, fake food making workshops, and more!
Access
Fly directly into Kansai International Airport (KIX) if you can. Expo 2025, Osaka prefecture and nearby Kansai destinations can entertain you for weeks, but if you plan to visit other major cities too, you can ride a shinkansen bullet train to Shin-Osaka station from Tokyo (Haneda Airport), Nagoya (Chubu Centrair Airport) or Hakata (Fukuoka Airport) in 1–2½ hours for 7,000–17,000 yen.
Locally, eco-friendly transportation to the venue on Yumeshima “Island of Dreams” will include hydrogen-powered ships, electric buses, and bicycle rentals. See the Expo 2025 official website for up-to-date details.
The Kura Sushi Osaka-Kansai Expo restaurant awaits you in the Future Life Zone, near the performance stage.
