In the late 1960s, the global catering market was at a crossroads between tradition and innovation. While fast-food brands from Europe and America began to attempt standardized expansion, in the old street of Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, a 23-year-old sushi chef named Tsukita Munenori quietly initiated a global revolution of Japanese cuisine using a simple rotating belt. In December 1968, the opening of "Turn Around Eikyu" sushi restaurant not only broke the consumption barrier of sushi as a high-end ingredient, but also sowed the seeds of Yamato Sushi - a brand that would later become popular in 14 countries and regions. At that time, the global understanding of Japanese cuisine was still limited to high-end sushi restaurants, and Tsukita Munenori's original intention of "allowing ordinary people to enjoy fresh sushi" precisely coincided with the wave of the rise of the global middle class and the surge in demand for affordable and exquisite dining after the war.
During the ten years of initial accumulation in Japan, the prototype of Yamato Sushi, "Turn Around Eikyu", had become a phenomenon in the Kanto region. The efficiency improvement and cost control brought by the rotating belt model significantly reduced the per capita consumption of sushi. This "self-service" dining experience was innovative in the global catering industry at that time. In 1979, Tsukita Munenori established Eikyu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha with 10 million yen, officially starting corporate operations; in the 1980s, the popularity of rice ball making machines and sushi making machines made it possible to produce 1,000 rice balls per hour, laying the technical foundation for the subsequent large-scale and global expansion of the brand. In 1990, with the termination of the license agreement for the Yamato Sushi trademark, "Yamato Sushi Kabushiki Kaisha" was officially established, and the iconic smiling face trademark was born. This brand name, which symbolizes "vitality and freshness", prepared the ground for its entry into the international market. The following year, Yamato Sushi successfully listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, becoming the first Japanese company to go public in the sushi business, and the injection of capital allowed its globalization pace to be accelerated.
In May 1992, the first wholly-owned overseas branch of Yuanqi Sushi opened in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. This was the first test of its global strategy. Choosing Hawaii as the first overseas location was a combination of strategic considerations and market foundation - not only did it have a large Japanese immigrant population forming a sushi consumption group, but it also attracted global tourists, making it an excellent window to test the international acceptance of the brand. While preserving the core revolving mode, Yuanqi Sushi adjusted the sushi menu specifically, adding avocado sushi, California rolls, and other dishes that better suited Western and European tastes. The opening of the first store sparked a queueing frenzy, verifying the feasibility of Japanese affordable sushi in the international market. This success made Yuanqi Sushi firmly believe in the global strategy of "regionally focused + local adaptation", and then quickly turned its attention to the Asian market with strong catering demand.
In 1993, with the promotion of businessman David Ben, Genki Sushi Singapore Ltd was established, specifically responsible for expanding the business rights in the Asian region, marking the "multi-blossoming" era of Genki Sushi in Asia. In 1994, the Singapore branch opened, becoming an important pivot in the Southeast Asian market; in 1995, it was even Genki Sushi's "Asian expansion year", with the opening of a branch in the Far East Finance Center in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong in March, quickly seizing the market with fresh ingredients and affordable prices. Over the following three decades, the number of branches grew to nearly 80, making it the sushi chain brand with the most branches in Hong Kong. In October, a branch in Malaysia followed, further improving the layout in Southeast Asia. In 1997, a branch in Taiwan, China opened. Although due to contract issues, it was renamed as Hirata Sushi in 2012 and eventually ceased operations in 2020, this attempt accumulated valuable local experience for subsequent entry into the Chinese mainland market.
Entering the 21st century, the global expansion of Genki Sushi continued to expand, and at the same time, it began to develop differentiated operation strategies for different regional markets. In February 2000, Genki Sushi entered the Thai market. Considering the local preference for spicy and sour flavors, it launched special dishes such as lemon grass salmon sushi and Thai spicy tuna sushi, quickly integrating into the local catering ecosystem. In 2005, the door to the Middle East market was officially opened. Burgan Group Holdings Co signed a contract with Genki Sushi to be responsible for the operation rights in the Middle East. In 2007, the Kuwait branch opened, becoming the first Japanese revolving sushi brand to enter the Middle East, adapting to local religious customs, strictly selecting ingredients and strengthening halal certification, breaking the cognitive barriers of the Middle East market towards Japanese cuisine. In 2008, Pt. Ilham Putra Wicksana took over the operation rights in Indonesia, bringing Genki Sushi to the populous Southeast Asian country. Through cost-effective strategies, it attracted young consumers.
While expanding globally, Genki Sushi has never stopped innovating and iterating its business models. These innovations have ultimately benefited the global market. In the 2000s, some of its local branches in Japan were the first to abandon the traditional conveyor belt system and introduce the "Shinkansen Delivery Train" service - customers placed orders through tablets, and the sushi was precisely delivered to their tables by a simulated Shinkansen train, arriving within just 30 seconds. This "order-then-make" model not only enhanced the freshness of the ingredients but also created a unique dining experience. It was subsequently promoted to regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, etc. In July 2015, the Tsuen Wan Square branch in Hong Kong was upgraded to become the first three-story "High-Speed Line" concept store in Hong Kong, with three parallel tracks operating, making it a hot topic in the local catering industry. This model was later replicated in many core stores worldwide. The experience upgrade brought by technological innovation has enabled Genki Sushi to always hold a dominant position in the global sushi chain brand competition. The support of capital has made Genki Sushi's global expansion more stable.
In May 2015, the largest rice wholesaler in Japan, Shinken Holdings, announced the acquisition of Genki Sushi, with a target acquisition of more than 40.0% of the shares. In June of the same year, Genki Sushi officially became a subsidiary of Shinken Holdings. Relying on the global resource advantages of its parent company in the food supply chain, Genki Sushi further optimized its global procurement system, achieving standardized global distribution of core ingredients such as salmon and tuna, ensuring stable quality while reducing procurement costs. Notably, Shinken Holdings once owned both Genki Sushi and Sushi Ryō, two brands that accounted for 30% of the Japanese conveyor-style sushi market at their peak. Although they later sold the equity of Sushi Ryō, the market position of Genki Sushi has become unshakable.
Today, Genki Sushi's global footprint now covers multiple regions such as Asia, America, the Middle East, and Oceania. Its business scope extends to 14 countries and regions including Japan, China, the United States, Thailand, Kuwait, Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar, with over 200 branches worldwide. Besides the core brand "Genki Sushi", it has also incubated several sub-brands such as Sushi-Ondo, Senryō, Uobē, and Kamaya-Honpo, covering the entire market from affordable fast food to high-end Japanese cuisine. In August 2024, Genki Sushi announced that it would change its company name to "Genki Global Dining Concepts". This name change marks the brand's transformation from a single sushi chain to a global integrated catering group, and also demonstrates its determination to deeply penetrate the global market.
