Written by Grace Buchele Mineta
When it comes to raw fish, Tokyo spoils you — at every price point. There are loads of places to get your sushi fix on the cheap, from no-frills conveyor belt joints to spots where your order arrives on a tiny bullet train.
Over the years, we’ve built up a list of favorites — aka the best budget sushi restaurants in Tokyo. Drumroll, please…
Conveyor belt sushi
If you want the full cheap-and-cheerful experience, conveyor belt sushi is still the easiest place to start. These chains are fast, reliable, and especially good if you want to order plate by plate rather than commit to a set. Most have multilingual tablets, and a couple have enough novelty factor to count as a mini attraction in their own right.
Pro tip: Be a conscious consumer of seafood. Check out our guide to sustainable sushi.
Ganso Zushi
From ¥130 for two piecesClassic conveyor belt sushi
The Japanese characters that spell out Ganso Zushi translate to something like “original sushi” — and e have to admit, it’s the OG. There are branches located all over Tokyo, including popular spots like Shinjuku, Ebisu, and Asakusa. All shops should have menus in English and other languages, but we’ve seen them being a bit shy about handing them out. As well as choosing things off the conveyor belt, you can bark your order at the chef in the middle.
Uobei
From around ¥150 for two piecesFlavor, fun, and speed
At ¥150 per plate for decent sushi, Uobei is another great option. The atmosphere at is pleasant, the grub is good, and the staff is friendly. You must order all your sushi via a tablet, which has multiple language settings. It will then be served to you (at high speeds) via the automated conveyer belt.
Sushirō
From around ¥150 for two piecesBig booths and family-friendly
Sushirō is one of the most beloved budget sushi chains in Tokyo. With branches throughout Japan, it has gotten the practice of getting you in, fed, billed, and out again down to a science. Since a certain incident, you can no longer — for now — grab your choice from the conveyor belt. You must order from the screen in front of you (which has English, Chinese, and Korean-language settings). Plates start at ¥150 for two pieces of nigiri sushi. They have a couple of specialty items that run for a bit more as well as a delicious assortment of desserts.
Katsu Midori
From around ¥130 for two piecesTasty and popular
This place punts itself as the “No. 1 conveyor belt sushi restaurant in Japan”, and it’s definitely one of our top choices. There is often a queue snaking right outside the restaurant, but the wait is well worth it. Locations include Ikebukuro and Shibuya. Most plates will set you back between ¥132 and ¥242, and that includes not only your standard excellent sushi dishes, but also fried chicken, tempura, soups, and more. You order on a tablet, as well as your phone, and the food comes to you in a matter of minutes.
Nemuro Hanamaru
From around ¥143 per plateHigh-quality fish
For a more upscale conveyor belt sushi experience stop by Nemuro Hanamaru. You can either have your order made or pick and choose whatever catches your fancy (from the conveyor belt) as it comes. Though the lines might be long on weekends and the prices might be a bit higher (arund ¥143 for the cheapest order), the quality is what keeps patrons lining up for up to an hour. Keep in mind that you can’t make any reservations prior, and you’ll have to wait in line once you get your number from the queuing machine at the entrance.
Standing sushi
Standing sushi bars are a good middle ground between conveyor belt chains and a full sit-down meal. They are quick and usually excellent value. Also, you can expect them to be a little more serious about seasonal fish. The catch is, of course, that you’ll need to eat on your feet.
Uogashi Nihon-Ichi Standing Sushi Bar
From around ¥150 for two piecesExcellent value
Uogashi is an excellent value standing sushi bar. While this chain is slightly pricier than the conveyor belt sushi places on this list, its value is doubly reflected in the quality, as you don’t have to “pay” for the costs of having seats. Uogashi uses lots of seasonal fish and veg, so you can try new tastes throughout the year. Look for branches around popular tourist destinations like Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.
Maguro Bito
Starting from ¥160 for two piecesStanding sushi with a tuna focus
With branches in Asakusa and Ueno, Maguro Bito is a standing sushi chain that leans into tuna. Expect to stand, order directly from the chef, and be in and out pretty fast — very much in the spirit of old-school Edomae fast food.
Asakusa Sushi-ba Hinatomaru Raimon Yanagikoji
From around ¥300 for two piecesCounter sushi near Kaminarimon
A handy Asakusa pick just 60 seconds from Kaminarimon, Hinatomaru is good for a casual standing sushi meal between sightseeing stops. It’s directly run by a fish wholesaler, so the seafood is reliably fresh, and the counter-style setup means you can watch everything being made in front of you. You can also reserve ahead.
Casual sushi bars and lunch sets
If you would rather sit down and have someone bring you a set meal, Tokyo has plenty of sushi bars where lunch hits the spot.
Sushi Zanmai
Look no further than Sushi Zanmai for quality and convenience. This sushi bar (sorry, no conveyor belts here!) chain offers fresh, high-quality sushi sets at over 40 branches throughout Tokyo — including two branches in Shinjuku alone. We recommend the lunch sets, which cost ¥1,078–¥5,808 and come with soup, salad, and unlimited green tea.
Sushi Katsura
Sushi Katsura is located right next to the old Tsukiji Fish Market — so you already know that you’re about to get some quality stuff. It’s a contender for the much coveted (and imaginary) Best Budget Sushi Tokyo Award. We recommend taking advantage of their weekday lunch menu. An “ichininmae” (one person) set of nine pieces of nigiri sushi and one maki (sushi roll) costs around ¥1,300.
Motodane
Hidden in the backstreets of Tsukiji and marked by a singular paper lantern hanging outside its storefront, Motodane is a well-loved local sushi restaurant. Despite its popularity, they don’t take lunchtime reservations, so expect to line up well before noon. Their sushi plates are priced below ¥2,500 but their best seller is said to be their chirashi (seasoned sushi) rice bowl, which costs about ¥1,000.
Suke Sushi
Located just beside Toyama Park in Shinjuku is Suke Sushi, a neighborhood sushi restaurant. For the best deals, try to go at lunchtime. They offer plates of sushi for between ¥700 and ¥1,000, with a side of miso soup and green tea. Like many other independent sushi restaurants, don’t expect the staff to speak much English here.
Mikorezushi
Mikorezushi is a sushi restaurant not too far from the west exit of Shinjuku. Their lunch sets go for about ¥850, which you can upgrade to a bigger size for a bit extra. There’s a menu with photos on it so you won’t have to worry about anything getting lost in translation.
But what about that famous sushi guy?
If you’re determined to dine at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s (or at least his son’s restaurant, anyway), don’t let us stop you. But you might want to read about these alternatives first.
Our tips for finding cheap sushi deals
- Sushi lunch sets are much more affordable than the ones offered at dinner time.
- Buying sushi at depachika (department store basement food halls) nearing closing time will get you some sizeable discounts.
- Opting to buy take-out sushi from stalls inside major train stations instead of eating in can save you a considerable amount.
- Convenience stores and supermarkets have a daily selection of sushi at a much cheaper price regardless of the time.
- Ordering a la carte only makes economic sense at kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurants); otherwise, it is almost always cheaper to order a set meal (unless you’re just keen on eating a lot of cucumber rolls).
If you happen to be a Londoner, check out our guide to affordable sushi in London.
This post was originally published on July 25th, 2014. Last updated in April 2026.
