Sushi wars roll into America as Japan’s top chains face off

When Japanese conveyor-belt sushi giant Sushiro opens its flagship U.S. outlet near Times Square this October, it will join a market saturated with the raw fish staple. From high-end, Michelin-starred counters to supermarket California rolls and baseball stadium push-pops, sushi has become almost as American as hot dogs. About 45% of Americans say they like or love sushi, according to a recent National Seafood Association report.

Sushiro is betting, however, that the U.S. appetite for raw fish is big enough to accommodate the casual, mass-market model that made the chain a giant in Japan.