It’s hard to miss the big nigiri sushi sign on Dotonbori’s main street. It towers over the Dotonbori Branch of Genrokuzushi, the original kaiten-zushi restaurant.

Kaiten-zushi, tasty sushi rolling by your seat on a conveyor belt, is a sort of food-based entertainment that started in Japan. It’s now popular worldwide.

The conveyor belt sushi have clear prices. The ones on red plates are 135 yen, while the ones on yellow plates are 216 yen, tax included. With over 80 types including tuna and salmon, you’re sure to find a variety at a reasonable price.

Tourists tend to like red or sweet shrimp and sushi with an added touch, like “aburi” seared sushi. You can also add cheese and mayonnaise to shrimp and salmon when you toast them, making for an even more tempting bite.

If sushi on the menu isn’t on the conveyor belt, ask the attendant behind the counter. If the item you’re after isn’t sold out, they’ll make it for you right away and take out the wasabi if you ask. There are side dishes you can order as well, such as sushi chef miso soup, savory steamed egg custard, and drinks such as beer. Stop by and we're sure you'll agree: they still serve some of the best sushi in Dotonbori!

Though part of bustling Dotonbori, Hozenji Alley is a relaxed, laid back place where you can enjoy a calm Japanese atmosphere. It’s right next to Osaka Metro’s Naｍba Station, and around the famous Hozenji Temple, you’ll find plenty of old and excellent restaurants lining its stone-paved streets.

The place we’ll be looking at is Seitaro, a 60-year-old restaurant serving some of the best sushi in Dotonbori. There, you’ll find the finest seasonal ingredients imported from all over the country in its counter case, and the owner behind the counter. Special routes ensure high-quality stock.

The owner’s father dealt in fish in the Kuromon Ichiba Market, a place famous as Osaka’s main source of seafood, and those connections over many years have paid off in the form of the finest stock.

The menu’s selection is generally left to the owner’s discretion. A course of Dotonbori sushi alone is 8,500 yen, while a course with sushi and Japanese-styled seafood starts at 10,000 yen.

The contents of the menu change based on the stock of the day, with this day’s course starting with white shrimp from Toyama with caviar. The sweetness of the shrimp mixes well with the saltiness of the caviar.

Next came crab miso, salmon roe, and Hokkaido and Awaji sea urchin nigiri sushi. I had it without soy sauce in order to taste the most of what the ingredients had to offer. The fresh, high-quality ingredients and their masterful arrangement by an expert were truly impressive!

The food in a standard course is served piece by piece as the chef makes the sushi. There’s an excitement to this style, a joy to eating a fantastic piece of sushi while wondering what the next one will be.

Also, though this venerable Dotonbori sushi restaurant may seem unapproachable, the owner is a man who truly, genuinely loves sushi and warmly welcomes all, so you need not worry.

Dotonbori’s Aiaubashisuji Shopping Street has a seafood restaurant called Yumebouzu. It has a variety of lively fish in the storefront tank proudly on display. There are energetic kuruma shrimp and seasonal fish such as pufferfish and longtooth groupers.

One reason for the restaurant’s popularity is its willingness to comply with visitor’s requests for certain fish in their tank.

Once inside, you’ll find a variety of fresh seafood and vegetables lining the counter seats on the first floor that you can pick from for your order. The second floor also has tables and sitting areas perfect for larger groups.

Nigiri sushi made from wonderfully fresh ingredients starts at 140 yen apiece. Lean tuna meat goes for 200 yen, while the fatty meat goes for 350 yen – great prices! Even the more extravagant Dotonbori sushi, such as pieces that use an entire conger eel, only go for 490 yen.

There are all sorts of types, fresh from the central market in Osaka and fisheries all over the country, so enjoy to your heart’s content! All prices include tax.

Sushi isn't your only food option at Yumebozu. A variety of seafood dishes are on the menu, from sashimi to deep-fried items, and there are seasonal options as well, such as the wintertime Fugu Tsuchori Course (from 5,800 yen, tax included).

You can also order up something super fresh, like shortspine thornyhead or rockfish, which can be salt-grilled, simmered or otherwise served just the way you love it. They even have Japanese tiger prawn (780 yen each, tax included), which are particularly popular among foreign tourists, as well as nigiri sushi.

Don't miss their large sake selection, which is completed with Dassai and other famous brands - a perfect match for seafood dishes! Be sure to get a splash in your cup and enjoy it along with some of the best sushi in Dotonbori.

Text by:copyz

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