Japanese Sushi Brands Are Removing Open Conveyors? Haisheng Intelligence Provides the Answer with Closed-Loop Recycling Systems and Intelligent Food Delivery Carts

Why are Japan's top sushi giants abandoning traditional rotating conveyors? How can your restaurant stay ahead? In November 2025, NHK World reported a major transformation: "Japan's top sushi brands are collectively removing traditional conveyors and switching to intelligent ordering." Sushiro, Kurazushi, and Genki Sushi are rapidly replacing open rotating conveyors with touch-screen ordering + high-speed dedicated tracks/Shinkansen-style carts. The driving forces behind this are: food safety trust crisis, severe food waste, and labor shortages.

After the 2023 "sushi terrorism" incident, as many as 62% of Japanese consumers no longer trust open conveyors, and 45% have reduced the frequency of eating at rotating sushi restaurants. Traditional conveyors force restaurants to prepare a large number of sushi in advance—data from Genki Sushi shows that the annual food waste due to exceeding the freshness period is 1.2 billion yen (about 59 million RMB). At the same time, Japan's catering industry has long been understaffed, and the replenishment, cleaning, and monitoring of conveyors have put an unbearable burden on operators.

The solution is clear: a hygienic, zero-waste, and highly automated "point-to-point" direct delivery model. And this is exactly the advantage of Haisheng Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd.

From "Rotating" to "Intelligent Direct Delivery" — Haisheng's Complete Ecological Solution

For 16 years, Haisheng has been focusing on the production of a full range of kitchen equipment, including rotating sushi equipment, hot pot rotating equipment, fixed-point sushi conveyors, sushi machines, fryers, and grills. We have a 10,000-square-meter manufacturing factory and a team of over 100 technical engineers, providing one-stop services from design and planning, R&D and manufacturing, production testing to installation and maintenance. Haisheng is not following the trend—it is defining the standard.

1. Manufacturing Quality Meeting the World's Strictest Certifications

While Japanese brands are busy renovating old systems, Haisheng has already launched an innovatively upgraded double-layer stable frame structure using Japanese craftsmanship. The modular design enables quick and error-free installation. More importantly, our equipment has obtained EU CE, US NSF, and UL certifications—indispensable for entering markets such as North America and Europe. For this reason, Haisheng systems have been operating stably in more than 20 countries and regions around the world, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.

2. Ultimate Solution: Rotating Sushi Conveyor with Plate Return System

One of our flagship products integrates a plate return system—eliminating the need for staff to walk around to collect dirty plates. Customers can directly put empty plates into the lower recycling conveyor, which sends them back to the kitchen. This not only keeps the table tidy and reduces cross-contamination but also saves up to 50% of front-of-house labor costs. When combined with the optional automatic cash register and settlement system, the restaurant can achieve almost contactless operation.

3. Intelligent Food Delivery Carts That Completely Eliminate Hygiene and Waste Concerns

Following the same logic that drove Japan's industry transformation, Haisheng's variable-track intelligent food delivery cart system takes it a step further. Customers place orders through large-screen ordering tablets; orders are sent directly to the kitchen; after the sushi is prepared, it is placed in an intelligent food delivery cart (which can be customized into IP shapes such as trains and spaceships); the delivery cart runs along a dedicated track, with the following features:

• Automatic obstacle avoidance and intelligent error correction
• Automatically calculate the optimal delivery route based on table location
• Precise speed control to prevent spilling—anti-slip and anti-tilt platform with protective enclosures
• Realize U-turn and lane change through advanced track-changing and conveying technology

Unlike open conveyors that any customer can touch at will, Haisheng's closed-track delivery carts only deliver to ordering customers. This completely solves the hygiene trust problem mentioned in the NHK report. Moreover, since no plates are left on the conveyor for more than 20 minutes, food waste can be reduced by 70%—exactly the same result as Genki Sushi achieved after eliminating traditional conveyors.

4. Rotating Sushi Equipment That Still Works — But Better, Cleaner, and Quieter

For restaurants that wish to retain a "nostalgic conveyor area" (such as Sushiro's plan to keep some in tourist stores) or adopt a mixed operation model, Haisheng has improved the modern rotating conveyor. Our rotating sushi equipment has the following features:

• Adjustable tension device—extend chain service life and reduce maintenance costs
• Acrylic silent chain—smooth, wear-resistant, ultra-quiet, and easy to clean
• Constant temperature fresh-keeping system—keep sushi on the conveyor below 5°C
• Freshness detection system—automatically remind staff when plates exceed the safe time
• Hot water circulation system and plate recycling slideway to achieve full automation of hygiene

All these components are modularly designed. You can start with a basic conveyor and gradually upgrade to a complete intelligent system according to your budget.

5. Tailor-Made for Every Brand — From Hamazushi to Sushiro, From Kurazushi to Sushi Craftsman

Haisheng is a trusted OEM/ODM partner for many top chain brands. We have established long-term cooperation with major catering chain brands such as Xinyifan, Wansui, Sushi Craftsman, Heting, Hezhixian, and Dali Xi. For new entrants, we can provide:

• Hamazushi same style—conveyor + plate return
• Sushiro same style—high-speed track direct delivery
• Kurazushi same style—intelligent Shinkansen delivery cart + gashapon game machine
• Sushi Craftsman same style—hybrid conveyor and track system

We can also integrate gashapon game machines, hot water systems, plate return systems, constant temperature fresh-keeping systems, overpass systems, freshness detection systems, automatic ordering large-screen systems, and automatic cash register and settlement systems. For hot pot rotating equipment, we support supporting equipment such as variable-track intelligent food delivery carts, ambient light strips, upper exhaust systems, and multi-functional drawers.

6. Future-Oriented Maintenance and Air Circulation Design

An often overlooked pain point is the accumulation of odors and residues inside the conveying channel. Haisheng's system includes a ventilation device that can actively discharge food particles and odor molecules. The smooth and seamless bearing platform and detachable enclosures make thorough cleaning simple, avoiding odor cross-contamination between sushi and other dishes such as ramen and dumplings.

NHK World's report concludes that 2026-2028 will be a "model transformation period" for the global sushi industry. Traditional open conveyors will gradually become a "nostalgic experience", while intelligent contactless direct delivery will become the mainstream. Leading brands such as Sushiro and Kurazushi have replicated this model to markets such as the United States, Taiwan of China, and Southeast Asia—regions where Haisheng has been supplying equipment for many years.

Whether you are opening a new store in Los Angeles, renovating an existing rotating sushi restaurant in Melbourne, or opening a hot pot chain in Berlin, Haisheng Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. can provide you with certified and customizable solutions. We offer:

• Free layout planning based on your space, budget, and target customer flow
• Comprehensive internal R&D and factory testing before delivery to ensure stable operation of the equipment
• Installation, training, and long-term spare parts support

Don't wait for the next "sushi terrorism" incident to shake customers' trust. The market is changing—and with Haisheng's rotating sushi equipment and rotating sushi conveyors with plate return systems, you can stay ahead of the change.

Contact Haisheng Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. now for consultation and take an online tour of our 10,000-square-meter intelligent factory. Let us jointly create a cleaner, faster, and more profitable sushi experience for 2026 and beyond.