Kura Sushi Inc. announced that it will open its largest-ever Kura Sushi restaurant with a strong focus on sustainability at the Future Life Zone of the Osaka-Kansai Expo on April 13, 2025. The Kura Sushi Osaka Kansai Expo Store is the largest such store ever built, with 338 seats, the most in the history of Kura Sushi, and the longest revolving belt at about 135 meters. The exterior design is simple, with nako walls reminiscent of the company’s symbolic storehouse and a large image of tuna niri in the “Antibacterial Sushi Cover Mr. Freshness” that protects the sushi from airborne dust and viruses.
The interior has a luxurious, modern Japanese design with wood-grained tables and backs and tatami-style seating surfaces, and a bold graphic depiction of a giant plate on the ceiling. The exterior walls are made of “plaster without artificial substances,” which is made by reusing 336,000 shells that would otherwise be discarded and using glue and other ingredients made from seaweed. For the Pictograms at the cash register counters and restrooms, a total of about 100 kg of discarded plastic bottle caps and milk-white polyethylene tanks were used, reducing CO2 emissions to about one-third of what would be produced by incineration.
In addition, a part of the seat numbers and the logo sign in the wind shelter are made of about 15 kg in total of recycled fishing equipment such as ropes, buoys, and baskets. The benches in the waiting area are made of cedar trees thinned in Japan. The “Bikkura Pon®?” capsules and other items that visitors can take home with them are also recycled and take-out containers are made of environmentally friendly materials, with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In addition, the restaurant is equipped with a system that enhances customer convenience and comfort, with a system that improves hygiene and quality control by utilizing AI and ICT technologies developed over many years, and is the only major conveyor-belt sushi chain to have achieved this. Through these ongoing efforts, the company is able to offer sustainable products such as low-use fish, AI-based “smart aquaculture,” and organic fish. The Osaka Kansai Expo branch of Kura Sushi also offers sustainable menu items that can only be realized by Kura Sushi, such as “Cabbage Nizadai,” “Organic Hamachi,” and “Healthy Roll (Shrimp Mayo)” using ‘Vegito’ (carrot sheet), a vegetable sheet made from non-standard vegetables, to promote “s sustainable development” through food.
The company aims to “cont contribute to the achievement of the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through food. Kura Sushi’s first special menu featuring dishes representing 70 countries and regions! Kura Sushi has developed a special menu that recreates dishes representing 70 countries and regions.
For 25 of the dishes, asked ambassadors to Japan and other people familiar with the authentic flavors of each country to taste them, and based on their opinions and advice, the company made improvements. The company were particular about reproducing authentic flavors that reflect the culinary culture of each country and ambassador.
AloJapan.com