I visited a takeout sushi restaurant called "Kyotaru Sushiro Otsuka Minami-guchi" around 7 pm on a certain day in December 2021. Located just a 1-minute walk from Otsuka Station, the restaurant had only one other customer when I arrived. Due to the time, they were only offering pre-made items for purchase. I chose the "Assorted Seafood Chirashi" for ¥780. I took it home to eat and enjoyed a delicious mix of tuna, negitoro, ikura, salmon trout, shrimp, squid, and tamagoyaki. The balance of ingredients was excellent, with high-quality ingredients and pleasing textures. The ikura portion was a bit small, but the tamagoyaki was just the right size with a hint of sweetness. Overall, I found the chirashi to be tasty for the price. It was unclear what the specific strengths of the collaboration between Kyotaru and Sushiro were, but the quality of the ingredients seemed improved. I would appreciate it if the store could accept same-day sushi orders later into the evening. The convenience of the location near the station was a definite plus.

Sushi assortment (650→600) with 4 rolls including fatty tuna, lean tuna, squid, sweet shrimp, seared salmon, salmon, scallop, and boiled shrimp - all generously portioned! They were giving out a 50 yen discount for their grand opening or something. The freshness is not exceptional, but they are still delicious. At 600 yen, it's a great deal and worth it!

I knew that Kyotaru was acquired by Sushiro in 2021 and a shop selling both types of sushi was created, but I encountered it for the first time in Otsuka. When I went to the shop, I saw that Kyotaru and Sushiro sushi were being sold separately. I'm not sure what this means. I have eaten Kyotaru sushi a few times before, but I have never been to Sushiro, so I decided to buy the "Tennen Indomaguro Zkushi" (1,390 yen including tax) from there. The quality of the fish was not bad, but the rice was square and seemed like it was made in a factory. It was too hard to be considered nigiri sushi. After trying this, I don't feel like going to Sushiro. Also, the soy sauce was quite sweet, which I didn't really like. I still think Kyotaru has the upper hand when it comes to takeaway sushi.

Before I knew it, "Kyotaru" had been absorbed by Sushiro, and the appearance of the store had changed. The power of Sushiro is amazing. On the left side of the showcase are "Kyotaru" products, and on the right side are "Sushiro" products. In the kitchen at the back, it seems like they are only making Kyotaru products. Sushiro's products must be for delivery. Anyway, I tried the Kyotaru-made "tsuru". It was 30% off, with a free plastic bag and disposable chopsticks! There was no Chakin Sushi, but the content was reasonably fulfilling. The overall taste was well-balanced and delicious. Next, let's try the offerings from "Sushiro".

After exiting the Otsuka Station ticket gate and turning right towards the south exit, you will come across the Sanmall Otsuka shopping arcade right after crossing the tram tracks. Next to it, there used to be Kyoto Taru, but now I noticed that the sign has been changed to include the words "Sushiro". Perhaps due to the current situation, an interesting collaboration has come to life. I decided to try it out by getting some takeout. Here's what I ordered: - Kyoto Taru: Medium-sized negitoro roll @ 206 yen - Sushiro: 3 pieces of maguro (tuna) @ 195 yen - Sushiro: 3 pieces of hotate (scallop) @ 280 yen Looking into the showcase, I could see that Kyoto Taru's items and Sushiro's items were clearly separated. I got the negitoro roll from Kyoto Taru as usual, and they kindly cut it for me. The roll tasted just as good as always, providing a sense of comfort. Now, I tried the nigiri sushi from Sushiro. I've had maguro at conveyor belt sushi restaurants before, but I don't remember having hotate. Both pieces were quite sizable. Starting with the hotate, I found the fish to be fresher than expected, but the rice was much firmer than what you'd typically get at a conveyor belt sushi place. It's understandable that the rice would be different for takeout, but it was a bit too hard. Despite this, the flavor was still good enough for a takeout meal. It would be interesting if they could find a way to coexist harmoniously.