Touchscreen Automatic Sushi

Recently I enjoyed dining at a sushi restaurant (すしや) in or near Funabashi (Tokyo area). It is an amazing place. Each table has a touchscreen showing the current menu items. If something is out of stock, then it automatically disappears from the screen. The screen keeps a running yen total, so you can spend exactly what your budget allows. You can also see which orders have already been filled and which the kitchen is still preparing.

The kitchen receives all the orders electronically, and then the staff prepare your sushi. When ready, they put your sushi on a special tray which carries an electronic tag matching your table number. (There's a supply of numbered tags near the kitchen's dispatching station.) The dispatcher places the tray on the conveyor belt, and the computerized conveyor belt automatically carries your sushi order to your table. There are well-timed paddles that push your orders onto your table. The only items that require waitress delivery, perhaps for legal or safety reasons, are the liquids, especially the alcoholic ones. (Non-sushi side dishes, desserts, and fruit enjoy conveyor delivery.) As with other sushi restaurants, self-service water and tea are available at your table. But unlike other kaiten (conveyor) sushi places, where the sushi ages on the line, this advanced conveyor sushi restaurant prepares everything to order. The quality is much better as a result.

Here are a couple links with more information on this uniquely Japanese sushi palace:

http://juventus.livedoor.biz/archives/51135407.html
http://www.yamato-f.com/yamadenmaru.html