Part 2: “Uotami”, “Hana-no-Mai”, “Isomaru Suisan”…A Study of Seafood Izakaya Chains: The “Big Three” vs.

As the once-powerful giants of the Japanese food industry have all reduced their territory, the newcomers to the top spot are vigilantly watching for an opportunity to make a strong push to the top.

The rivalry between the great izakaya chains is now taking place, just as it did in the Warring States period, says Yagyu Kyubei, an expert on B-class gourmet food.

In the past, general izakaya chains that served a wide variety of meat and fish dishes were popular, but gradually, “specialized” izakaya chains are attracting more and more attention. A typical example is “Tori Aristocrat,” a chain of izakaya specializing in chicken. However, they have lost their freshness with the appearance of “Tori Melo III,” a yakitori chain operated by Watami, and “New Era,” which pushes chicken skin skewers (denkushi). This is why izakaya chains specializing in seafood, especially sushi, are currently in vogue.

Click here for Part 1: “A Study of Seafood Izakaya Chains: The Big Three vs.
The first part is here.

Specializing in sushi is still strong

With the three major izakaya chains struggling and many of their followers losing momentum, will the industry enter an era in which “Sugitama” will be the sole winner? No, there is another new champion. It is Yadai Zushi, a sushi izakaya that was born in Nagoya in 2000, 25 years ago. Since its opening, Yadai Zushi has been steadily expanding its power and has now grown into a huge chain with 342 stores nationwide.

Of the stores in Tokyo, only the Kanda Station Nishiguchi-cho store is located near a station on the Yamanote Line. In order to keep rents down, we open stores outside of the downtown area, targeting stations where the express trains of private railways do not stop. Both families and businessmen on their way home from work can go there and pick up authentic sushi made by artisans without any tension.

You can order by the piece, and enjoy “Tamago” and “Geso” for 65 yen. Prices are divided into 11 levels ranging from 65 to 659 yen, and more than 40 types of sushi are available at any given time. Because we often open restaurants in residential areas, many customers come on foot, and they are less likely to say, ‘I can’t drink alcohol because I drive,’ as is the case with conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in the suburbs,” said food journalist Junnosuke Nagahama.

When Yoshix, which operates Yatai Sushi, was founded, it was a construction company specializing in restaurant construction. This means that the entire process of finding the ideal property, constructing, opening, and operating the restaurant can be done in-house.

The restaurant is crowded in the evenings with the silver generation and in the evenings with office workers and local residents. The store is small, with a floor space of only 30 to 40 tsubo, and the rent is low and the risk of opening a store is low because the store is not located in a busy downtown area. We have built a system that allows us to take root in the local community and generate profits over the long term.

Renting out the tatami rooms of a large restaurant and having a big party with company friends over sashimi and fried food. The day when “Sugitama” and “Yadai-zushi,” where you can enjoy a drink in a relaxed atmosphere with a plate of sushi, will become the top seafood izakaya in Japan may be approaching.

From the March 7, 2025 issue of FRIDAY