Sushi in Otaru and Sushi Street

The Otaru Sushi Shop Association says there are more than 120 sushi restaurants in Otaru. When planning a meal, start by deciding which area you want to visit and what time.

Where Is Otaru Sushi Street (Otaru Sushiya Dori)?

Otaru Sushi Street is in Hanazono, Otaru, between the Hanazono Ginza shopping street and Sun Mall Ichibangai. It is about a 15-minute walk from JR Otaru Station. By car, it is said to be about 10 minutes from Otaru IC on the Sasson Expressway.

A restaurant’s address and the area name shown are useful clues when looking for it on the street. Otaru Masazushi Main Branch gives Otaru Sushi Street as part of its official address. The Otaru Tourism Association also introduces Nihonbashi as a restaurant facing Otaru Sushi Street. Nihonbashi’s address is 1-1-4 Inaho, so rather than searching by the district name Hanazono alone, check the restaurant name and address on a map.

The address of Sushi & Japanese Cuisine Shikama is 1-2-5 Hanazono. In the Tourism Association’s “Eat” section, it is listed under the “Otaru Sushi Street/Hanagin” area. In that list, you can use the genre “sushi” and the area label to find restaurants.

There are sushi restaurants in other areas too. For example, Otaru Takeno Sushi is on Sakaimachi Street. Otaru Masazushi Zen-an is at 1-2-1 Ironai, and Ise Sushi is at 3-15-3 Inaho. If you are stopping by during sightseeing, compare each restaurant’s address with the places you will visit before and after your meal.

Counter sushi restaurants

What “omakase,” “okonomi,” and “market price” mean

“Omakase” is a way of ordering in which you leave the choice of sushi and dishes to the chef. “Okonomi” is a way of ordering in which you choose what you want to eat. When you order, say which one you prefer.

For example, if you want the chef to choose, say “Omakase ni shitai desu” (I would like omakase). If you want to choose for yourself, ask “Okonomi de chumon dekimasu ka” (Can I order okonomi style?). If you already know which fish you want, ask whether it can be ordered as well.

“Market price” (jika) is a label meaning the price changes depending on purchasing costs and other factors. If you see it, check the price and the ordering unit before you order. The terms introduced here are explained in their general sense. For specific menus and ordering conditions, follow the information provided by the restaurant you choose.

Otaru Masazushi Main Branch has counter-only courses and nigiri sets. The official menu of Ise Sushi lists nigiri courses as well as okonomi nigiri. Deciding whether you want a course or would rather choose what you eat makes the menu easier to navigate.

Check reservation details on the official page

Once you have decided where to go, open the reservation information on the restaurant’s official website. Otaru Masazushi Main Branch offers online reservations in Japanese and English. The phone number is 0134-64-1101. Zen-an also offers online reservations in Japanese and English, along with phone contact details.

According to the official website of Ise Sushi, reservations are accepted by phone. Reservations open at 11:00 on the same date two months before your visit, though the start time may vary slightly by day. For visitors from overseas, the official website also describes how to book through a reservation agency service.

Check each restaurant’s own information for how and when it takes reservations. Deciding on your preferred date, the time you can arrive, and the number of people before you make contact lets you cover everything you need to discuss in one go. If you want to sit at the counter, say so when you book. Ise Sushi says it may not be able to accommodate seat requests.

Also keep the contact details handy in case your plans change. At Ise Sushi, if you have not arrived or contacted the restaurant within 15 minutes of your reservation time, the reservation is treated as canceled. After booking, read the conditions for changes as well. If you think you will be late, contact the restaurant.

Conveyor-belt sushi

At conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, one style is to take plates as they pass by on the conveyor belt. In another style, you order what you want from a screen such as a touch panel. If you are not sure how it works, ask how to order when you are shown to your seat.

Kaiten Sushi Waraku Otaru

Kaiten Sushi Waraku Otaru is at 3-1 Sakaimachi, Otaru. It has counter seats and booth seats, along with a waiting room. Seat reservations are not accepted.

When you arrive, tell the staff how many people are in your group and check how check-in and waiting work. Follow the restaurant’s instructions on where to wait and how you will be called. For specific ordering methods at Waraku, ask when you are shown to your seat.

Waraku Otaru is open for lunch from 11:00 to 16:00, with last order at 15:30. In the evening, it is open from 17:00 to 22:00, with last order at 21:30. If you plan to eat lunch there, think about your arrival time with the midday break in mind.

Eating sushi at lunch

When planning lunch, check the opening and closing times and the last-order time. “L.O.” stands for last order, the final time the restaurant takes orders. Examples of restaurants open at lunchtime are as follows.

• Otaru Masazushi Main Branch: 11:00–15:00. L.O. 14:30.
• Ise Sushi: 11:30–15:00. L.O. 14:30.
• Nihonbashi: 11:00–15:00. L.O. 14:30.
• Otaru Takeno Sushi: 11:00–16:00.

Opening times are not the same either. For example, Masazushi Main Branch opens at 11:00 and Ise Sushi at 11:30. Use this as a guide when deciding whether to sightsee in the morning first or after your meal.

Regular closing days also differ by restaurant. Otaru Masazushi Main Branch is closed on Wednesdays and New Year’s Day, and Otaru Takeno Sushi is closed on Thursdays. Ise Sushi is closed on Wednesdays and on the first, second, and third Tuesdays of the month. Ise Sushi says it is open on national holidays and takes a substitute day off instead. Masazushi Main Branch may also change its schedule on national holidays or for events.

Otaru Takeno Sushi may close early if it runs out of sushi ingredients. If you are thinking of a late lunch, ask the restaurant whether you will be able to eat at your planned arrival time. If you want to book a particular restaurant, it is easier to organize your plans by checking its open days first and then building that day’s sightseeing schedule around it.

Foreign-language menus and service

Visitors from overseas should check three things separately: the languages the staff speak, the language of the menu, and the language of the reservation page.

The Otaru Tourism Association lists English service and foreign-language menus for both Otaru Masazushi Main Branch and Zen-an. On both restaurants’ official English pages, you can read the menus for courses and nigiri sets. These are also useful if you want to look up dish names and details before your visit.

However, the Tourism Association’s foreign-language menu field does not say which languages are covered. If you want a menu in a particular language, ask whether the restaurant has one. The English booking page can also be reached from the official Japanese pages of both restaurants.

For Otaru Takeno Sushi, the Tourism Association’s information lists English service. Please check with the restaurant before your visit about foreign-language menus. Ise Sushi’s reservation information for overseas visitors can serve as an entry point for finding out how to book. Ask about the language of in-restaurant conversation and menus together with your reservation.

Waraku also has an official English page that introduces items such as the English names of seafood. Check ordering methods and available languages at the restaurant before you visit. When you ask, it helps to separate what you want to know, for example: “Do you have an English menu?” and “Can I order in English?”

Examples of sushi restaurants in Otaru

The table below shows each restaurant’s location and how to book. If you are looking around Otaru Sushi Street, check the Location column; if you want to decide on a mealtime, check the How to book column. For anything marked “to be confirmed,” contact the restaurant before making your plans.

Shop name	Location	How to book	Foreign-language support	Official information
Otaru Masazushi Main Branch	1-1-1 Hanazono. On Otaru Sushi Street.	Online reservations from the official page (Japanese and English). Phone: 0134-64-1101.	English service and foreign-language menus available. Menus posted on the official English page.	Shop’s official site
Otaru Masazushi Zen-an	1-2-1 Ironai.	Online reservations from the official page (Japanese and English). Phone: 0134-64-7030.	English service and foreign-language menus available. Menus posted on the official English page.	Shop’s official site
Ise Sushi	3-15-3 Inaho.	Reservation section of the official site, or phone: 0134-23-1425. See the main text for when reservations open.	Reservation information for overseas visitors available. Languages spoken in the restaurant to be confirmed.	Shop’s official site
Nihonbashi	1-1-4 Inaho. Faces Otaru Sushi Street.	The Association recommends booking in advance. The specific booking method is to be confirmed. Inquiries: 0134-33-3773.	Not listed in the Tourism Association or Sushi Association information. Please confirm with the restaurant.	Otaru Tourism Association
Sushi & Japanese Cuisine Shikama	1-2-5 Hanazono. In the “Otaru Sushi Street/Hanagin” area.	The Association advises checking seat availability before you visit. Booking method to be confirmed. Inquiries: 0134-25-4040.	Not listed in the Tourism Association or Sushi Association information. Please confirm with the restaurant.	Otaru Tourism Association
Otaru Takeno Sushi	2-22 Sakaimachi. On Sakaimachi Street.	Go from the official “Reservations & Inquiries” page to the designated booking form.	English service available. Foreign-language menus to be confirmed.	Restaurant’s official site and reservation information
Kaiten Sushi Waraku Otaru	3-1 Sakaimachi.	Seat reservations are not accepted.	Official English page available. Languages for in-restaurant conversation and menus to be confirmed.	Shop’s official site

For a list of Otaru sushi restaurants, see the Otaru Sushi Shop Association’s restaurant introductions (Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean).

The Association’s “Otaru Restaurant Guide” lists 32 restaurants by area. You can choose a restaurant by area name and look up its address and how to visit. The “more than 120” at the beginning refers to sushi restaurants in the city as a whole. The “32” is the number of restaurants listed on this introduction page.

When booking, check the branch name as well as the restaurant name before you proceed. For example, Masazushi Main Branch and Zen-an each have their own separate booking page. Sharing the address of the restaurant you chose and your reservation time with the people traveling with you helps everyone meet at the right place.

Seasonal toppings

“Neta” means the ingredients used in sushi, such as seafood. The Otaru Sushi Shop Association’s “Seasonal Neta Calendar” lets you look up the season for each type of seafood. Sea urchin is marked for April–August and salmon roe for October–December. Mantis shrimp is marked for March–May and October–December, and scallops for December, January, and February.

When thinking about what you want to eat, refer to the Seasonal Neta Calendar. The months listed here are taken from the Association’s calendar. If there is a particular seafood you want, ask the restaurant whether it can be served when you book or order. If you also want to know where it comes from, ask about that day’s seafood.

FAQ

Can I walk to Otaru Sushi Street from JR Otaru Station?

The official Hokkaido tourism site describes it as about a 15-minute walk from JR Otaru Station. If you have already chosen a restaurant, use that restaurant’s address as your destination and check the route.

Do I need a reservation?

It depends on the restaurant. Masazushi Main Branch and Ise Sushi have reservation information, while Waraku Otaru does not accept seat reservations. Check the official page of the restaurant you want to visit to see whether you need a reservation and how to make one.

Is there an English menu?

You can read the menus on the official English pages of Masazushi Main Branch and Zen-an. The Tourism Association also lists foreign-language menu service for both restaurants, but does not say which languages. For English menus inside the restaurant, please confirm when you book.