AlwaysAisle

Things known to open 24 hrs. in Japan are convenience stores and family restaurants, in Japan “family restaurants” referred to a restaurants like Denny’s.

However, lately family restaurants in Japan are shifting their opening hours to non-24 hrs. operations. One of major family restaurants chain Royal Host has moving away from 24 hrs. operation. As of this February there is no 24 hrs. Royal Host restaurant. Other family restaurants in Japan are following the same.

Reason given by family restaurants is that change of life style in Japan. Latest number shown that number of customers at family restaurants between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. dropped to less than 1% of overall customers at family restaurants. Went on to say that family restaurants used to be a place to meet for younger generation during late hours and early morning when there were nothing else open. However, now internet and cell phone in hand younger people do not meet face to face in person but they communicate via social media websites and text message on a cell phone. Younger people no longer need a physical place to meet. The study indicated that typical younger people in Japan make use of 24 hrs. convenience stores to grab something to eat any time they want and head home to correspond with friends on social media websites and text message.

I know it is change of time, similar thing in the U.S. also, younger generation make use out of social media websites and text message on a cell phone and they do not meet face to face in person nor talk to each other.

Taiwaned

I know that the 24 hour restaurants are vital for those who go partying and miss the last train and need a place to kill time until the first train.

However I don't see these types of patrons to be high spenders.

Royal Host was one of the few family restaurants that actually had a real person cooking in the back. Not just a heat up and serve industrial restaurant.

This announcement has zero affect on me since I tend to go to family restaurants in the early afternoon for the afternoon coffee break / meeting.

evergrn

Makes sense. Must be bad news for homeless people who nurse a cup of coffee for hours to buy time during the night at fami-resu. Sure hope fami-resu will continue to be open early in the morning (like 6.30am), though, because they fill an important role during that time slot when many people are up already yet nothing else is open other than konbini and yoshinoya.

Royal Host has gotten so expensive these days. Pretty much all entrees are >1000yen, some much more. Their prices are pretty much the same as department store restaurant floors now. These days I only get the drink bar when I go.

RichardInSF

Surely Denny's is still open 24 hours?

AlwaysAisle

At this moment Denny’s has not announced reducing number of 24 hrs. restaurants, although industry analysts are indicating that slowly family restaurants in Japan will go to non-24 hrs. operation. There are few Denny’s not open 24 hrs. but I think that is more to do with the situation with a building the restaurant is located.

In Japan Denny’s is not nationwide, northern most Denny’s is at Fukushima and western most Denny’s is at Kobe. There is no Denny’s in Hokkaido, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Most Denny’s restaurants in Japan are concentrated in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya area. In these areas it is possible that there are still some demands for opening 24 hrs. and less difficulty finding personnel to work at odd hours.

BuildingMyBento

Whenever I'm jet lagged (i.e. up at 3am), I'll sooner head to a Matsuya...not that it's a family restaurant per se.

mapleg

I like the Joyfull chain for 24 hour family style. Not a lot of them in Kanto