More Than Just Food: The Dazzling Transformation of Japanese Sushi

A conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, is already packed with foreign tourists before lunchtime.

[American Tourist: I'm so excited because this is my first time eating sushi in Japan. I would come back anytime just to eat sushi.]

However, even these popular sushi restaurants have recently found themselves facing concerns.

This is because the number of tourists has decreased and competition among restaurants has become fierce.

From January to August of this year, approximately 27.62 million foreigners visited Japan, a decrease of 760,000 compared to the same period last year.

To maintain their existing customer base, it has become necessary to do more than just serve delicious sushi.

This is another sushi restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo.

Although it gained massive popularity for the visual spectacle of piling salmon roe high on plates, reservations have plummeted this year.

[Sushi Master: Reservations have decreased by about 15% compared to the same period last year.]

The new card this restaurant has pulled out is a sushi-making experience.

A guest from the Netherlands has dressed up in a traditional sushi chef's outfit.

The first challenge is to estimate the weight of the rice using only fingertip sensation.

It needs to be between 11g and 12g, but when placed on the scale, it unfortunately comes out to 13g.

They shape the rice this way and place it on raw fish to form the piece.

[Dutch Tourist: I tried Japanese sushi for the first time, and I also wanted to know how it's made.]

At an aquarium in Toyama Prefecture, which has set its sights on becoming Japan's top sushi destination, sushi replicas have appeared in front of the tanks.

The aim is to more easily promote Japanese food culture by exhibiting live fish and sushi made from those fish side by side.

[Visitor: At first I was surprised, but as I kept looking, it started looking delicious. I'm thinking of having some for dinner tonight.]

Going beyond simply eating to the joy of seeing, making, and experiencing.

The transformation of Japanese sushi continues in order to hold onto tourists.

(Video by Moon Hyun-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.