A few nights into my stay here, I met up with another friend who studied at my university as a foreign exchange student. He introduced me to Kaiten Sushi, specifically the name of the restaurant is Sushiro. This place is amazing. I easily spend close to 2000 yen (around 20 bucks) at this place because of all the sushi I devour.
The best place to sit is right next to the opening where the food first emerges. That way you get first dibs on what comes through and it’s the most fresh. Plus you don’t have to wait for the sushi to go all the way around before it reaches your table. While not all kaiten sushi places have the same ordering system, Sushiro and Hamazushi use touch screens to make it more convenient for the customer to order what they want instead of waiting on a waitress. My friend told me to eat as much as I want and that he was treating me. So I busted out my Saiyan style eating habits. While we have met up for dinner and he has treated me, it wasn’t at sushiro.
Another part of the culture is the onsen. They are very relaxing places and I can understand why the Japanese enjoy them. The place I had visited wasn’t exactly an onsen but it was called a sento. It’s roughly similar. Wasn’t allowed to take pictures – sorry ladies- not that I’d really want to….maybe the girls area I would bust out the phone. That was a joke so don’t yell at me.
First we cleanse ourselves before entering the room, then we sit on stools and wash ourselves right next to each other. I didn’t really care but for many Americans this could be a bit embarrassing. The Japanese way of bathing is to scrub yourself then rinse and then get into the tub. The tub is for relaxation and because of this particular method, many families will use the same water when they each take a bath instead of draining the water after each person uses it.
There were several areas to relax such as a bench where you would just lean against a wall with water running down it, or even an electric bath. I was a bit curious about this one since it doesn’t sound too appealing. There are panels that sends out electric currents into the water. It’s a strange sensation. I put my arm next to a panel and the currents caused it to tense up and I couldn’t move my fingers very well until I pulled my arm away.
There was an outside area that was mimicking an onsen and two saunas. One was a really hot sauna that was about 140 degrees maybe hotter and the other was a salt sauna where you cover yourself with salt while in the room. Also literal waterbeds that are small platforms you lay on and there’s a small layer of water.
I won’t bore you with all the different ways they had to soak in the water. Overall it was completely relaxing.
I think it would be an interesting thing to have in the States but I’d also be a bit apprehensive about it since Americans have a tendency to be filthy when it comes to public areas, especially ones that involve water. The Japanese are more meticulous about cleanliness. The same goes for public restrooms. I’ve never had any problems with restrooms being clean around here. America is….somewhat of a different story.
Although I have not used a Japanese style toilet yet. I’m a bit afraid to because I feel I’d make a mess after eating food that would have the same effect on me as Taco Bell does with everyone.
To be honest, not sure if I’d even know how to use it properly. Damn you 3 sea shells!
The Legacy of the Sato Dynasty 