Watch THIS Before Eating Sushi in Japan 🍣 (Beginner’s Guide!)

Watch THIS Before Eating Sushi in Japan 🍣 (Beginner’s Guide!)

so you’ve landed in Japan and you’re ready to eat 
all the sushi you sit down at a sushi restaurant feeling confident and then you realize wait which 
Sushi should I order first am I allowed to pick plates off the conveyor belt did I just offend 
the sushi shelf by dipping my sushi in too much soy sauce don’t worry I’ve got you hi everyone 
it’s Abby from pictor and I’m a photographer and guide in Japan you can find more about what I have 
to offer right here and today we are diving into the world of sushi don’t forget to like comment 
and subscribe I promise it really does help me out and it means a lot just a quick note this is 
a beginner friendly guide for foreign Travelers and is not a deep dive and I will not be diving 
into vinegar differences or aging the fish or hand temperature if you’re a sushi expert 
that’s great but let’s leave the comments helpful so that more people can enjoy Sushi all 
right let’s roll literally Sushi is not just slices of fish on rice there are actually a lot 
of different styles let’s break it down first up you have nigiri which is the classic ngiri is a 
small delicate bed of vinegared rice topped with a piece of raw fish or another topping it’s simple 
and elegant and it highlights the natural flavors of the fish when you eat niri you’re going to 
want to dip it in soy sauce fishs side down don’t drown it and you also will not really want to dip 
the rice as the rice will fall apart and Scatter sadly into your soy sauce by the way yes you can 
eat sushi with your hands you can pick it up and flip it over if using Chopsticks is a little too 
much for you to deal with you’re going to eat the sushi in one bite and then between different bites 
of sushi you can enjoy GTI which is pickle Ginger and it’s supposed to help refresh your palette 
also some people talk about whether or not you should mix Wasabi in your little bowl of soy sauce 
if you go to a conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain restaurant I think it’s perfectly fine to 
mix some wasabi with your soy sauce but if you go to a counter restaurant the chef should have 
already added an appropriate amount of Wasabi so maybe don’t do that there all right the next type 
of sushi we’re going to talk about is the goonan goonan literally means Battleship so these little 
pieces of sushi kind of represent a battleship as they have rice wrapped in seaweed or Nori and 
then with something on top of it popular toppings include uni which is sea urchin and is very rich 
and creamy ikura or samon R and Nei too which is chopped fatty tuna and it’s very soft and melt in 
your mouth and I really love Nei too so of course instead of Dipping these awkwardly into the soy 
sauce you can just lightly pour soy sauce over the top of them and don’t be like me sometimes 
and really drown your battleship next up is the Maki so Maki is what most most people outside of 
Japan tend to think of as Sushi it is a sushi roll you’ll find a pretty big variety of these here 
although not as big a variety as you’ll find in a lot of Western countries where Maki is more the 
trendy type of sushi Maki here are typically more simple they have ingredients inside like cucumber 
or tuna or salmon or any kind of pickles but sometimes you can find more extravagant ones 
here especially at chain restaurants such as California rolls and other types of fun rolls 
that definitely have no cream cheese also you will want to eat these in one bite if you’ve eaten 
Sushi before you know that it will just awkwardly crumble onto the table and of course there’s a 
few cousins of sushi as well for example chashi Zushi chashi Zushi is kind of like a sushi roll 
but in a bowl so it’s vinegared rice topped with fresh seafood and vegetables it’s often eaten on 
special occasions like H Matsui which is girls day and is also just a general comfort food another 
cousin to Sushi is tamari Zushi Tamar Zushi is a small round bite-sized little sushi that is made 
by pressing the sushi ingredients into a spherical shape and it’s often decorated quite beautifully 
originally it’s from kyto but recently it’s become more popular throughout Japan because of how cute 
and instagrammable it is the last cousin I’m going to mention mention is OSI Zushi which is pressed 
Sushi Oshi Zushi is Sushi that has been compressed in a mold down into a flattened State and it is 
often very strong and vinegary and pungent and usually uses fish like mackarel or salmon and is 
kind of an acquired taste but if you’re in certain areas of Japan it is fun and it is worth trying 
to test your Japan level so let’s talk about what we have deemed the Japan level this is a concept 
that we have come up with in order to explain how adapted you are to traditional Japanese flavors 
anyone that has spent a decent period of time in Japan has probably had an experience where 
a friend or cooworker or someone recommended a Japanese food and you went to try it and your 
brain short circuited trying to find a way to say I highly respect your culture but I I’m suffering 
looking at you Nat that was a hard one to get used to so that is the test of your Japan level a 
firsttime visitor to Japan and someone who grew up in Japan or grew up eating authentic Japanese 
food will have different adaptation levels leading to differences in what kinds of foods they find 
to be delicious especially the types of raw fish that I certainly know they’re not offering at 
my local sushi joint back in the state States so while there may be types of say Ramen that you 
have not tried before you came to Japan usually these cooking methods and ingredients are going to 
be a lot more familiar so it’s easier to come here and try them and find them delicious to put it 
simply just how as we get older and we encounter more types of foods and we eat those Foods more 
we’ll learn to like different things it’s the same thing with Japanese food so a lot of people 
that come to Japan for the first time who have not encountered these different types of foods are 
going to be more at the level of a Japanese child I know I was and will’ll find certain things 
a little bit unpleasant at first so the scale that we’ve come up with is from 1 to five with one 
being Pleasant and tolerable to just about anyone and five being about as Niche or peculiar as you 
could get here all right quick intermission I have this do you know what this ISS this is a Duma so 
when you get a Duma you fill in one of the eyes and then you make a whip wish and then when your 
wish comes true you fill in the other eye so I made my wish for 10,000 subscribers and you guys 
really carried through with that one yay finally he can see so now I have to buy another one cuz we 
got to go bigger than 10K so if you want to ease into Sushi let’s talk about some beginner-friendly 
creative Sushi before we level up our Japan level one Sushi are going to have no raw fish they’re 
all going to be pretty easy to eat and they’re pretty much going to be things that everyone 
secretly loves first up we have tamago Sushi this is sweet omelette Sushi and eat it for dessert or 
just whenever you want next up is corn Mayo Gan it is creamy and comforting it is corn and mayonnaise 
next up is tuna Mayo Gan this is the classic japanese Mayo combo often served in rice ball 
style next up is hamburger Sushi yes it is a tiny Burger on Rice it is so stupid but it’s good and 
these not fish type sushis are definitely going to be served as some of the big four conveyor belt 
chains that we’re going to talk about later any Japanese people watching this right now are 
probably going to be like where’s the fish but for viewers with little Sushi experience I do 
recommend starting with these more creative Sushi some people might argue oh it’s not real sushi 
but it is a great place to start to get into your sushi Journey if you like those level one Sushi 
or you’re ready just to move on to something else let’s go to the level two recommendations I 
have this is going to be fish with more familiar flavors and typically it’s not going to be raw 
so first up we have salmon cheese seared Sushi this is torch salmon plus cheese and it equals 
Heaven next up we have shrimp avocado sushi this is western style creamy goodness in avocado 
lovers this is the ultimate combo of cooked shrimp avocado and soy sauce please trust me on 
this next up we have salmon and onion Sushi and this is literally salmon onion and mayonnaise and 
quite frankly it’s God’s gift to man and both of us can recommend it you also have things like eie 
which is cooked shrimp Sushi and this is boiled shrimp and it is lightly sweet and it is very 
very different than raw shrimp Sushi which took me 2 years to finally love and appreciate and of 
course you have tempera sushis which can be fried tempora anything on Rice these are crunchy and 
delicious and they’re also suitable for people who do not eat seafood in the first place all right 
so once you’re ready to enter the realm of eating raw fish you might wonder is it safe question 
mark the answer is yes Japan has extremely high standards for food safety especially when it 
comes to something as ubiquitous as sushi sushi is scientifically treated in order to minimize the 
risk such as freezing it at -20 for 24 hours to kill parasites salt and vinegar treatments help 
sterilized fish and UV sterilization and ozone water are used in many restaurants also fun fact 
the chance of getting food poisoning from Sushi here is actually lower than your risk of getting 
involved in a non-fatal commercial plane accident the chance of which is around 1 in 260 ,000 and 
yet you’re still coming here you’ve taken bigger risks in life all right so depending on your 
budget or your sushi Comfort level you have a variety of different options in order to enjoy 
Sushi your main choices are going to first be deciding between conveyor about sushi and counter 
Sushi if you’re new to Sushi or just looking for a casual budget friendly Sushi experience conveyor 
belt Sushi known as kiten Zushi here is a fabulous Choice it’s affordable it’s easy to order and it 
offers a variety of creative Sushi and beginner friendly Sushi these chains are very popular with 
Japanese people who also take their whole families so you know that they’re going to have a lot of 
different options to suit all different kinds of tastes it’s also great for someone who wants 
to try a lot of different types of sushi without completely breaking the bank there are four big 
conveyor belt Sushi chain restaurants first is sushido which is well known for its high quality 
fresh ingredients and a large amount of variety second is caushi which is the place that is 
most well known for its gacha prize game next is hamazushi which is known for its extensive 
menu and it’s delicious side dishes and Kapa Zushi which used to just be well known for 
being super cheap but is recently trying to focus on quality what about taking stuff from the 
conveyor belt well if the food comes straight to the table and stops yes of course at most chain 
restaurants you can take whatever you want off the belt but rarely the food might be labeled 
and you can only take what’s yours so if you’re unsure I recommend just asking all these chains 
are great but if you are a serious Sushi lover or want to experience authentic high quality Sushi 
then a counter sushi restaurant might be better fitted for you especially one that has omaka 
which is when the chef selects the sushi for you here the fish is often fresher seasonal 
and of course it’s cut with expert precision and you get to interact with the sushi chef ask 
them any questions and often get a selection of sushi that is prepared in the best order this is 
a great experience for food enthusiasts special occasions and anyone who just wants to know 
what high quality Japanese sushi is if you’ve been to Japan once or twice or you’re just ready 
to level up your sushi game giving counter Sushi a chance is worth a try of course counter sushi 
restaurants are going to be a lot more expensive then conveyor Bel Sushi chains so while I’d say 
that at one of the big four you’ll probably spend around $10 to $15 a person at one of the mid 
tier places I’m going to talk about in just a minute you’ll probably spend around $3 to $50 a 
person at any kind of authentic counter sushi shop you’re probably going to be starting priced around 
$100 per person so if you want something mid-range not quite big four conveyor belt Sushi chains and 
not quite starting price $100 a person I have some recommendations for you check out places like Mor 
Mori Sushi Ginza onoda also if you are in Kyoto I highly recommend Sushi Musashi and inaka Dai 
suisan these places have a really good balance of price and quality and they usually unlike the big 
four that just typically have a robot back in the kitchen they actually have real Sushi TS doing 
work all right let’s talk about three big tips that will help you enjoy Sushi like a pro first 
have you ever wondered if the order that you eat the sushi matters technically no one will stop you 
from eating the tamago dessert Sushi first and not the rolls last but if you want to maximize the 
flavors and enjoy Sushi the traditional way here is the best order to follow and why first you’re 
going to start with the light white fish these are going to be mild and delicate and these fish 
have subtle flavors that get overpowered if you eat stronger fish first then if you have a high 
enough Japan level you can move to Silver skinned and vinegared fish these are going to be bright 
and refreshing they’re going to have a slightly stronger taste and often they’re going to be 
marinated in vinegar but the acidity is said to help cleanse your palette before you start moving 
on to richer or fattier fish next up we have red fish that are going to be lean but they’re still 
going to be Umami Rich fish like tuna and Bonito have more pronounced flavors and this makes them 
a great transition to fattier Sushi finally next is my favorite section and that is the fattier 
fish like old thle and salmon the fat coats your tongue when you eat these so eating them earlier 
would make lighter Sushi taste Bland also one of my favorite Sushi types is hamachi or Yellow Tail 
in and you can eat it around this time either before or after you enjoy the fattier fish next 
up will be shellfish and those with Chewy textures the slightly chewy Sweet flavors of things like 
scallops or squid or boiled shrimp will provide a nice contrast after all the buttery fish you just 
ate I’d also recommend getting these things boiled if you’re still a beginner I know boiled shrimp 
seems kind of simple but it is so delicious as Sushi next you’re going to bring and you’re strong 
and your bold flavored fish things like sea urchin and unagi have intense lingering flavors and they 
are best safe for last so they don’t overpower the rest of your sushi also when you order eel Sushi 
either unagi or anago you’ll often want to put a special sauce on it that’s not just toy sauce 
you’ll want to put the sweet sauce on it so it’ll usually say something like sweet sauce or it’ll 
just look like this next up will be the Maki rolls these are cleansing and these are filling if you 
have not eaten enough already you can use these to help reset your palette with rice and Nori 
and then you can finish with the dessert Sushi such as tamago SL egg or inati sushi Ina Sushi is 
a sweet vinegared rice inside a sweet and salty tofu pocket so why does this order matter because 
if you told me this a few years ago I might have just thought you were crazy it avoids overwhelming 
your palette I love salmon but sometimes starting with salmon just kind of makes everything else 
taste a little less exciting than it and it creates the flavor buildup so by enjoying these 
more soft simple fish first I get to work up to the salmon and by the time I eat the salmon I’m 
like thank you thank you for making salmon but I still got to enjoy everything on the journey up 
to the salmon of course there are no strict rules to this don’t like quote me as saying You must 
eat fish in a certain order because of course it’s never that serious a lot of the times I 
start with salmon and I end with salmon and they haven’t deported me yet but when I have try 
it eating in this order I know it sounds crazy but it will take your experience to a whole another 
level the second tip to enjoy your sushi like a pro is to enjoy it with hot green tea if you’ve 
eaten sushi in Japan you’ve probably noticed that they did not want to give you water and they 
just gave you green tea and that’s actually for a reason it’s said to enhance the whole experience 
the tannins and green tea are said to help cleanse your pet washes away some of the oils from fish 
it’s said to help with digestion and it also balances the coolness of the fish as well as also 
having mild antibacterial properties so most sushi restaurants will serve what’s called agatti which 
is a strong green tea kind of like ca or bancha but some places will serve other teas like gima 
or hja for a nuttier flavor and if you really just want water you’re going to usually have to 
just get up and go to the self-service water area which is usually labeled with either water or 
a character that looks like this the last tip is to match your sushi with some alcohol so when 
you pair sushi with alcohol the goal is to keep it light and refreshing so that your alcohol does 
not overpower the flavors of the fish if you’re drinking sake you might want to go for a light 
and crisp G Jo sake while you enjoy white fish or tuna since it helps enhance their subtle Umami 
for fattier sushi like salmon a drier sake is said to help cut through the richness and if you’re 
not in the sake in the first place even beer or white wine or whiskey High balls also compliment 
Sushi well also just remember that the goal is to keep the alcohol light and crisp so that the sushi 
Remains the star of the show so there’s no right or wrong way to eat sushi but I hope this video 
has helped you think about some ways to maybe enjoy it even more than before now go forth 
and eat sushi see you in the next video bye

It ain’t gas station sushi, that’s for sure. Are you ready?

More info: piqtour.com/sushiguide
Photography and tours: piqtour.com

Japan takes sushi seriously, and between different types, restaurant styles, and etiquette, it can be overwhelming for first-timers. What’s the difference between nigiri, gunkan, and maki? Should you really avoid mixing wasabi with soy sauce? And what even is JPN Level 1 sushi?!

In this video, we’re breaking down everything you need to know before eating sushi in Japan—from budget-friendly conveyor belt sushi to high-end omakase, sushi etiquette, and the best places to try it.

🎌 Inside This Video:
✅ The different types of sushi (it’s more than just raw fish!)
✅ Best places to eat sushi in Japan, from cheap to high-end
✅ Sushi etiquette that will save you from awkward mistakes
✅ Conveyor belt sushi vs. counter sushi – which one should you pick?
✅ The secret to enjoying sushi like a pro

Whether you’re a sushi newbie or looking to upgrade your sushi game, this guide will help you make the most of your sushi experience in Japan!

👀 What’s the most adventurous sushi you’ve ever tried? Comment below!

#JapanTravel #SushiGuide #JapaneseFood #SushiJapan #TravelTips