A Hokkaido-based “kaiten” or conveyor-belt sushi shop chain has received the highest rating in the Oricon Japanese Customer Satisfaction Ranking (Rotary Sushi Division), beating out larger and more famous chains, such as Sushiro and Hama Sushi.
The Toriton (a Japanese pronunciation of the sea god “Triton”) chain is a subsidiary of Kitaichi Shokuhin K.K., headquartered in Kitami, Hokkaido. In the survey, restaurants were graded in various categories, such as quality of ingredients, cost performance, fulfilling the menu description, volume and deliciousness.
A TV show, “Hiru nan desu,” featured the chain and its accomplishment in its broadcast on 14 August, titled (in translation) “The secret of why Hokkaido rotary sushi Toriton got first in the nation for satisfaction.”
Though most of the shops are in Japan’s northern Island of Hokkaido, there are two shops in Tokyo, one in the Tokyo Sky Tree, the tallest tower in Japan and a popular sightseeing spot. The chain specializes in seafood sourced from Hokkaido, and offers several dishes not often seen in the Kanto area, such as Hokkaido octopus head, octopus eggs, ocean-caught chum salmon and whelk.
The company airships all seafood from Hokkaido ports, even when available at Tsukiji, since air shipping directly ensures freshness.
