FX.co ★ Donald Trump invests up to $5 million in Japanese sushi restaurant chain

US President Donald Trump purchased shares of Kura Sushi USA Inc., the American unit of a major Japanese conveyor‑belt sushi restaurant chain, for an amount between $1 million and $5 million. The deal was concluded on February 2, 2026, and was disclosed in the latest filing with the US Office of Government Ethics.

The Kura Sushi chain, owned by a Japanese parent holding company and with a market capitalization of around $600 million, has been traded on the Nasdaq since August 2019. The brand gained wide popularity in Japan in 2025 after participating in the World Expo in Osaka, where its outlets offered dishes in a special international format. The publication of the US leader’s financial disclosure triggered a surge of investor interest in the asset, sending Kura Sushi shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange up 5.4%, the largest intraday gain since June 2025.

The restaurant sector investment was part of a large package of more than 3,700 trades executed by brokers on behalf of the president in the first quarter of 2026. Apart from that, stocks of leading technology giants were added to Trump’s portfolio. Representatives of the Trump Organization said the investment portfolio is under the full control of independent third‑party financial institutions through discretionary accounts, which they say entirely excludes personal involvement by the president or his family members in asset selection.

Despite official denials from the White House, the president’s transactions have prompted a wave of criticism from watchdogs and senators, who pointed to a potential conflict of interest stemming from the failure to place assets into a blind trust.