Pubs & Bars · Practical guide
Mekiki no Ginji Japan Guide for Tourists: Tabletop Seafood BBQ & 24/7 Dining
Prices, ordering steps, payment details, and common mistakes — in one place.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Dining / Fisherman Wharf Seafood BBQ Pub & Kaisendon Rice Bowls (Mekiki no Ginji Official Website) |
| Store Count | Approximately 100–150 locations nationwide situated right in front of major railway stations and entertainment hubs, operated by Monteroza Co., Ltd. (Store Locator) |
| Ordering Style | Table seating equipped with tabletop portable gas grills (Hamayaki); order all food and drinks via multilingual touchscreen tablet (or verbally with staff); cook seafood directly at your table; settle bill at cashier |
| Membership Required? | No reservation or membership required (walk-in dining; 24-hour operation in select urban branches) |
| Approximate Price Range | Evening spend ~¥2,500–¥3,500; tabletop Hamayaki seafood items ~¥300–¥700s; boat-load sashimi platters ~¥1,200–¥1,800; daytime lunch seafood donburi ~¥600–¥1,000; all tax-included (as of September 28, 2026; subject to revision) |
| Payment Methods | Cash, major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.), electronic money (iD, Rakuten Edy, QUICPay), and smartphone QR code apps (PayPay, 楽天ペイ, d-barai, au PAY, LINE Pay, Merpay, Alipay, WeChat Pay) across all branches |
| Multilingual Support | Tabletop ordering tablets feature multilingual language toggles (English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean) with full-color photos |
What it is
Mekiki no Ginji, operated by dining powerhouse Monteroza Co., Ltd., is Japan's most vibrant nationwide fisherman's wharf seafood barbecue chain. Styled after an authentic Japanese fishing port guardhouse (Banya) with wooden barrels, fish crates, colorful banners, and hanging lanterns, Mekiki no Ginji centers around "Hamayaki" (浜焼き - Tabletop Seafood BBQ). Every table features an individual gas burner where diners grill fresh scallops, buttered squid, and seafood skewers with their own hands. Prominently located right in front of major railway stations—with many locations offering 24-hour operations or budget daytime sashimi donburi—it offers round-the-clock seafood indulgence.
How to order
Dining at Mekiki no Ginji is lively, interactive, and fun:
- Enter day or night: Walk inside. Staff will escort your party to a wooden booth table equipped with a tabletop gas grill and seasoning tray.
- Understand the Otoshi cover charge:
- Dinner & Late-Night: An evening table cover charge (Otoshi, around ¥450–¥500) applies, served with a small starter dish.
- Lunchtime: If ordering daytime lunch rice bowls (Kaisendon), there is zero cover charge (¥0 Otoshi)!
- Switch tablet to English: Pick up the tabletop touchscreen ordering tablet and tap the language toggle for English, Chinese, or Korean.
- Order your tabletop Hamayaki items:
- *Scallops with Butter & Soy (Hotate Butter-yaki)*: Fresh scallops in shell with butter and savory dashi shoyu.
- *Grilled Squid Rings (Ika Yaki)*: Tender squid tentacles and rings seared over the wire flame.
- *Sashimi Boat Platter (Gōkai Sashimi Mori)*: Heaping platters of fresh tuna, salmon, and seasonal catches.
- Grill at your table: Turn on your table burner. Place your shellfish on the wire mesh. When the shell opens and juices sizzle, drizzle a spoonful of seafood soy sauce and enjoy piping hot!
- Order drinks: Pair your grilled seafood with cold draught beer, highballs, or Japanese sake.
- Take advantage of daytime bowls: Between 11:30 and 14:00, enjoy budget sashimi donburi bowls starting from just ¥600 to ¥1,000!
- Pay at the cashier: Take your check slip to the front cashier desk to complete payment.
What to order first
Dishes below reflect core brand staples officially featured on the Mekiki no Ginji Official Website and verified row records:
- *Tabletop Butter Scallops in Shell (Hotate Hamayaki)*: Large scallops grilled in their natural shell over table flames, basted with rich butter and seasoned soy sauce (~¥450–¥650 tax-included as of September 2026).
- *Tabletop Whole Squid BBQ (Ika Sugata-yaki)*: Whole squid grilled on the wire mesh and sliced with scissors, served with sweet mayonnaise.
- *Boat-Load Sashimi Platter (Gōkai Kaisen Mori)*: A wooden boat or bowl piled high with fresh cuts of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and sweet shrimp (~¥1,200–¥1,800 tax-included).
- *Daytime Seafood Donburi (Kaisendon)*: Lunchtime bowl of sushi rice covered in tuna, salmon, and roe for under ¥1,000 with zero table charge.
- Grilled Crab Miso & Shellfish Mix: Rich crab paste and clams simmered bubbling hot on your burner.
Payment & practical info
Practical dining and payment guidance based on official Monteroza policies (consult the Official Store Directory for branch locations):
- Accepted Payment Methods: Accepts cash, international credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay), Japanese transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, etc.), electronic money (iD, Rakuten Edy, QUICPay), and smartphone QR code apps (PayPay, 楽天ペイ, d-barai, au PAY, LINE Pay, Merpay, Alipay, WeChat Pay) across all branches.
- Station-Front & 24-Hour Locations: Situated steps away from major station exits, with prominent urban branches operating 24 hours a day or opening early for daytime drinking and dining.
- Interactive Tabletop Fun: Cooking your own seafood on a personal flame grill is a thrilling, hands-on cultural experience that travelers love.
- Wi-Fi & Power Outlets: Availability varies by location; dining tables generally do not provide customer power sockets.
- Tax-Free Status: Not eligible for tax-free shopping. Restaurant dining is domestic consumption.
Good to know / Common mistakes
- Not watching the burner heat: Tabletop gas burners cook seafood fast! Keep an eye on your scallops and turn the flame down once the broth bubbles to avoid overcooking.
- Missing budget lunch bowls: If you want affordable sashimi without evening pub cover charges, visit for lunch between 11:30 and 14:00—delicious kaisendon bowls cost under ¥1,000 with zero Otoshi!
- Evening Otoshi starter fee: Standard evening izakaya dining includes an opening small dish (Otoshi, ~¥450–¥500) added to your final bill.
- Tipping staff: Tipping is never accepted in Japan. Settle your exact bill total at the front cashier desk.
FAQ
Q1: What is "Hamayaki"? Hamayaki is traditional Japanese coastal barbecue where shellfish, squid, and fish are grilled whole over open flames right at your table, seasoned simply with sea salt, butter, or dashi soy sauce.
Q2: How much does dining at Mekiki no Ginji cost? Daytime seafood donburi bowls cost around ¥600 to ¥1,000 with zero cover charge, while an evening barbecue dinner with beers typically averages between ¥2,500 and ¥3,500 per person (tax-included as of September 2026).
Q3: Can foreign tourists easily order in English? Yes. Every table is equipped with a digital touchscreen ordering tablet that supports English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean with clear photos for all items.
Sources
- Mekiki no Ginji Official Website: https://www.monteroza.co.jp/brand/gin/ (Verified: 2026-09-28)
- Monteroza Store Directory: https://shop.monteroza.co.jp/ (Verified: 2026-09-28)