Nemuro Hanamaru is a conveyor belt sushi restaurant that originated in Nemuro, a major fish-producing region in eastern Hokkaido. It has many branches in central Sapporo, such as JR Tower and Kokonosukino, and is a popular restaurant that sees many customers lining up every day. With the motto of "never letting the sushi taste bad," the freshness of the fish used is thoroughly controlled, and whenever possible, they use fish from the local Nemuro area.

The Nishino store opened in 2011 as the fourth store in Sapporo. It is loved by families living in the surrounding area. They have their own processing plant, and prepare the fish as soon as they are landed to minimize loss of freshness. Even after it arrives at the store, they manage the temperature according to each fish, thoroughly maintaining its freshness until it is eaten as sushi. In order to show the cooking process to the public, the preparation area is an open kitchen. You can enjoy watching the skilled hands of the craftsmen while feeling at ease.

The chief, Kazuki Kodama, cuts up the tuna. The key to preventing the loss of freshness is to not prepare tuna in advance, but to prepare it according to the time of day.

"Two-story scallop" (1 piece) 308 yen, made with two pieces of meat

Although they do use frozen fish depending on the season and fishing conditions, they basically use fresh fish at any given time. Maintaining freshness is a race against time, but a buyer is always based in Nemuro, so they can respond quickly. In order to serve delicious fish, they are so committed that they will not purchase even the popular pacific saury if it is not satisfactorily fatty. The carefully crafted sushi that is produced from this is sure to whet your appetite just by looking at it.

The fragrant and melt-in-your-mouth texture will make you addicted to the "Grilled Engawa with Scorched Soy Sauce Nigiri" 308 yen

"Homemade Sockeye Salmon Roe Marinated in Soy Sauce" goes perfectly with shiny vinegared rice, 418 yen

The rice used for the sushi is essential, and they also value freshness. They cook it 20 to 30 times a day, which is amazing, even when they're closing at night. It's no wonder that they're visited by many office workers on their way home from work, even on weekdays.

The interior of the shop is spacious. Every Saturday and Sunday, there is a campaign where if you collect five Marugeta, you can play rock-paper-scissors, and if you win, you can get a free plate.

In recent years, the number of sushi restaurants that keep the ingredients constantly moving on the conveyor belt has decreased, but Nemuro Hanamaru is rather particular about keeping the ingredients constantly moving. Even there, in order to maintain freshness, they continue to thoroughly research which ingredients to serve at what times. They also close the store once a month for training to improve the quality of their business. They are serious about not only providing satisfaction with the taste, but also about improving the "enjoyment" of their customers. They do not stray from the "mainstream of sushi," but they follow the royal road of conveyor belt sushi. That is the Nemuro Hanamaru way.

At the entrance to the Nishino store, there is a fish tank displaying the seasonal seafood. Just by looking here, you can see what is delicious at the moment.

In early spring, you can enjoy ingredients seasoned with wild garlic and fresh ginger, and in summer, ingredients unique to Hokkaido such as Hanasaki crab and sea squirt, all at reasonable prices. In addition to the Nishino store, there are a variety of other stores, such as the counter sushi shop "Shiki Hanamaru", "Dekitateya" which serves overnight dried fish, seafood bowls, and side dishes using fish, and "Nemuro Fish Fukuhara" in the basement of Kokonosukino, which sells homemade overnight dried fish and side dishes. You can enjoy Hokkaido fish in your favorite style.

*The menu is from the time of the interview. Ingredients may change depending on the season and day.

Conveyor belt sushi restaurant Nemuro Hanamaru Nishino branch

■Location: Nishino 2-jo Nishi 2-4-12, Nishi-ku, Sapporo ■Business hours: 11:00-22:00 (last orders 21:45) ■Closed days: Once a month on an irregular basis Click here for details and map information for "Conveyor belt sushi Nemuro Hanamaru Nishino store"

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