They have to get there by different means.
There are plenty of 3* places that have got there by a sense of theatre, some who have got their primarily because of the room and service as much as the food. The only way you can do it with Sushi is by ingredient selection, craft in rice preparation, knife skills and a few special touches that set you apart from the competition. Cheffy presentation on 'not plates' with foams and pearls is one thing, but it's not what makes me personally rate a place.
Sushi Yoshitake in Tokyo and Sushi Shikon in Hong Kong are both excellent.
I haven't been to the former in a long time, and I haven't been to the latter since it's recent move but I never regretted the cost of those meals.
[Shikon was supposed to be going to a bigger venue but the Mandarin Oriental must have convinced him to keep the traditional counter + 1 private room format. I'm glad. The price has remained the same as when he was in the Mercer which was a bit of a hole really.]
I do agree though that there are some massively over-hyped and over-valued sushi places. It's all a matter of personal taste and preference in the end, and 'advertising' affects us all, generating expectations, promising experiences...
Some of the photos I've seen on TripAdvisor for the recent sushi at The Araki London were quite poor IMO. Even the arrangement of the ingredients in the boxes prior to prep seemed slack. You wouldn't ever see that at the places I mentioned. The theatre and precision of the prep is part of the experience.

I'm still looking for the perfect roast chicken. Can French Onion Soup, Roast Chicken and Creme Brule ever make a Michelin meal? I live in hope. Bouillabaisse has made it. Bao of various descriptions have made it. Food done to perfection will always be worth a special trip for me