Sushi for Kids: Guide and Restaurants in Japan
Last Updated on February 14, 2025 by Kay
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For those who love sushi and have children, you might be wondering whether your child can have sushi, in particular raw fish. And if you’re planning a visit to Japan or living in the country, which sushi restaurants are best for kids?
In this article, I’ll share everything you need to know about sushi and kids.
Table of Contents
From What Age Can Kids Have Sushi?
In Japan, people believe that children can start eating raw fish such as salmon and tuna from between 2.5-3 years old. Of course, as a parent, it’s up to you whether you want your child to try having sushi between that age range.
Kids set meals at certain sushi restaurant chains in Japan have tuna and salmon nigiri (sushi rice with a piece of raw fish on top), so it’s safe to say that children in Japan do eat it, but whether they like it is a matter of personal taste.
My daughter, born and raised in Japan, had her first tuna and salmon nigiri when she was 3.5 years old. She had no adverse reaction but she didn’t like the taste and spit it out. This is pretty common in small children, it took my Japanese nieces quite some time before they started enjoying raw fish.
Now, at age five, my daughter can sometimes eat tuna nigiri but she’s still not the biggest fan. She loves salmon roe (イクラ, ikura) though, and also prefers other kinds of sushi, which I’ll share below.
Kid-Friendly Sushi
If you’re starting to introduce your child to sushi, here are common kid-friendly sushi picks that are a hit with little ones.
Note that you should not give wasabi to small children! My daughter has not had wasabi yet and usually sushi in kids meals do not contain wasabi.
I recommend letting your children try wasabi when they’re in elementary school and only the tiniest amount at first.
Sushi Without Fish
Tamagoyaki (卵焼き)
These are a piece of fried rolled egg omelet that’s placed on top of sushi rice.
Kappa Maki (かっぱ巻き)
These are sushi rolls containing cucumber and mayonnaise. Sometimes they contain sesame seeds, as pictured above.
Inari Sushi or Fried Bean Curd (いなり寿司)
These are tofu pouches containing sushi rice.
Corn Mayo Salad (コーン)
This is corn and mayonnaise on top of sushi rice and wrapped in nori.
Natto Maki (納豆巻き)
This is a sushi roll featuring natto, which are fermented soybeans. It’s an acquired taste and personally, I’m not a fan since it’s stringy and smells. But my daughter has been eating it since she was a baby and loves it.
Boiled Shrimp Nigiri (海老)
This is a piece of boiled shrimp on top of sushi rice.
Raw Fish Sushi
Tuna nigiri (maguro nigiri, マグロにぎり)
This is a piece of maguro (blue fin) tuna on top of sushi rice.
Salmon nigiri (サーモンにぎり)
This is a piece of salmon on top of sushi rice.
Of course, your child can try numerous sushi featuring raw fish if they like. I recommend initially staying away from harder seafood such as squid (ika) and octopus (tako).
Kid-Friendly Sushi Restaurants in Japan
The best places to take children to enjoy sushi in Japan are kaiten sushi restaurants (回転寿司). These are called by many names in English — rotating / revolving / conveyor belt sushi restaurants — and are not only fun for kids but some have kids’ sets that come with toys, which my daughter loves.
Best of all, these restaurants are not only extremely affordable but also carry food other than sushi, so it’s great for picky eaters. They have fried chicken (karaage・唐揚げ), french fries, udon and ramen bowls, tempura, and dessert.
My family frequently goes to kaiten sushi restaurants — in fact, after a recent trip to Canada, the first thing my daughter wanted to eat once back in Japan was sushi from one of these restaurants!
Note that it’s important to make sure your child does not touch any of the food on the conveyor belts. It’s exciting to look but make sure they know not to touch! I also don’t recommend letting younger kids grab their order from the conveyor belt because it can drop or pass by if they take too much time getting it.
Now that’s out of the way, here are the most popular kaiten sushi chains in Japan that families love.
Sushiro (スシロー)
This is one of my family’s favorite kaiten sushi chains. It’s not only very affordable but the taste is good for the price. They also have different campaigns featuring different sushi or even dishes like special regional ramen or udon.
Sometimes they have limited collab campaigns featuring popular anime such as Oshi no Ko or beloved characters from Sanrio where you can get sushi decorated with a character or even goodies like keychains or plushies.
Here are the cute Sushiro-themed Cinnamoroll plushies I got when I ordered two soft drinks:
And here’s what the Cinnamoroll Sushiro collab kids set looked like, which came with a free plastic pouch:
Each Sushiro’s kids set comes with a free gatcha (capsule toy). There’s a point card as well and each time kids go, they get another prize! So needless to say, this is my daughter’s favorite restaurant.
Another reason I love Sushiro is because you can make a reservation online for this restaurant using their app. Usually you still need to wait a little bit but it’s usually not for more than five minutes.
Website: https://www.akindo-sushiro.co.jp/
Kappa Zushi (かっぱ寿司)
Kappa zushi is okay. It’s not my first choice but I visit from time to time. They have adorable kids sets that come in shinkansen (bullet train) train plates.
Website: https://www.kappasushi.jp/
Hamazushi (はま寿司)
This sushi chain is known for their blue fin tuna and low prices since one plate of sushi starts from 110 yen.
Their kids meals are a little small but come with a drink and a coin to get a gatcha toy. They also have kids meals featuring only fries or udon, making it perfect for children who don’t like sushi.
Website: https://www.hama-sushi.co.jp/
Kurazushi (くら寿司)
Although affordable, I’m not the biggest fan of this chain because I don’t like how the sushi tastes. However, people enjoy Kurazushi’s game where you place finished dishes inside a slot at the table. Once you hit five, you have the chance to win a prize. The prize is usually a capsule toy of some kind and not that great but kids enjoy it.
Website: https://www.kurasushi.co.jp/
Sushi Ichiryu (寿司一流)
This is my absolute favorite revolving sushi chain. The sushi here is so good but of course, that makes it the most expensive chain restaurant on this list. However, it’s worth it and we always go when we visit my brother-in-law. Make sure to try their seasonal specials!
They have a kids set as well that comes with a toy that children can choose.
Note that they don’t have much of a selection when it comes to non-sushi food.
This is also a very local chain in Hyogo Prefecture, which is next to Osaka. Their locations aren’t exactly easy to visit for travelers to Japan but I thought I would include it in case there are local parents reading this.
Website: http://www.sushiichiryu.co.jp/
Wrap-up: Kid-Friendly Sushi and the Best Sushi Restaurants for Kids in Japan
I hope this look at sushi for kids and which sushi restaurants to visit in Japan has been helpful to you. Even if you or your kids don’t like sushi, it’s worth visiting these conveyor belt sushi restaurants to check out the fun atmosphere and enjoy their multitude of dishes.