Part 1: “Uotami”, “Hana-no-Mai”, “Isomaru Suisan”… “The Big Three” vs. “Emerging Power” of Seafood Izakaya Chains

The three giants of the seafood izakaya industry are struggling

On the other hand, the “three giants” that once reigned as the absolute kings of the seafood izakaya industry are now struggling mightily.

The giant chain “Uomami,” which had 592 stores nationwide in 2007, had 337 stores in 2012. One of the reasons for this is the loss of demand for corporate banquets due to the COVID-19 crisis, but more importantly, fish is no longer a weapon. Although the restaurant has “fish” in the name, it is in fact a general izakaya with a bit of fish pushed out of the menu. When you have hundreds of stores nationwide, the biggest challenge is the stable procurement and distribution of ingredients. Because we prioritize this, a lot of our fish is frozen. This makes it impossible to compete with other seafood izakayas, which are superior in terms of freshness,” said Mitsuhiko Suda, a producer in the restaurant business.

The Monteroza Group, which operates “Uotami,” is focusing its efforts on “Mechikin no Ginji” (171 stores), but has not seen any significant results.

Originally, there was a restaurant in Okinawa called “Me-toriki no Ginji,” which was unrelated to Monteroza. Monteroza, having its eyes on this restaurant, imitated the concept of the restaurant, registered the name “Mechikin no Ginji” as a trademark, and began to expand nationwide. Just as they started “Uomin” in imitation of the izakaya “Watami,” Monteroza is good at thoroughly imitating popular restaurants,” said the company’s president.

Hana-no-Mai,” which had 266 outlets nationwide in 2007, has also drastically reduced the number of outlets to about 100. This is a general izakaya (Japanese style bar) chain that emphasizes fish, and it too is being outnumbered by rivals that specialize in seafood.

Isomaru Suisan, which had 155 stores at its peak, now has fewer than 100. Isomaru’ differentiated itself from other izakayas with its concept of having several people enjoying hamayaki together, but after the COVID-19 crisis, the current trend is for small-group drinking. Combined with the fact that the hamayaki itself has lost its novelty, the number of customers has also dropped off. Looking at the menu again, the only lunch set that costs less than 1,000 yen is the “Isomaru Choidosushi Set” (967 yen), which includes soba or udon noodles and two pieces of sushi. If that is the case, “Sugitama’s” “Funazari Donburi” and “Lunchtime Nigiri” are more appealing. The regular menu is also undeniably overpriced,” said Yagyu.

Sakura Suisan, another fisheries-related restaurant, once gained popularity with its “500 yen lunch” offering free refills of rice, miso soup, etc. However, it is no longer able to maintain its prices, and its menu is now around 1,000 yen.

In February of this year, the restaurant discontinued the free refill policy. Omakase nigiri 5-piece set” costs 870 yen, and its quality is also lower than that of “Sugitama. The quality is also lower than that of Sugitama, and the cost of the “otsuji” (appetizer) is 438 yen, so I have to say that it is not a good cosmetic restaurant.

The number of “Sakura Suisan” restaurants, which had more than 150 at its peak, has now dropped to 14.

The second part is here: ” [Part 2] A Study of Seafood Izakaya Chains: The “Big Three” vs.
The “Three Big Ones” vs.

From the March 7, 2025 issue of FRIDAY