On December 31, 2024, “Benten-ya,” produced by popular YouTuber Hikaru, opened in Ginza Yurakucho, Tokyo. Open year-round from 11 AM to 11 PM, located just steps from Yurakucho Station. Staff recruitment is currently underway. We bring you practical information including the opening day events, store details, future menu developments, and access information.
Tokyo Expansion with 30 Million Yen Investment Finally Realized
The Tokyo branch of “Benten-ya,” produced by popular YouTuber Hikaru, finally opened on December 31, 2024.
Located in the prime area of Ginza Yurakucho, this is a serious establishment with 30 million yen invested in interior construction alone. Despite opening on New Year’s Eve, the worst possible timing, over 200 fans who had applied in advance visited the store, making it a huge success.
All Members United for a One-Day Event on New Year’s Eve
For this day, all members gathered including Hikaru, Taisho (the head chef), Soma, Meijin, and Calbi. Despite the grueling schedule of taking the Shinkansen to Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, everyone united for the fans.
When everyone tasted the ramen before opening, they barely made it in time for the 11 AM opening, hurriedly finishing their meal just in time.
10,000 Yen Per Person, 20-Minute Ultra-Hard Schedule
This event required advance application with a participation fee of 10,000 yen. Although customers paid 10,000 yen to eat ramen that normally costs about 1,000 yen, applications flooded in. The 200-person capacity was completely insufficient, with competition reaching nearly 5 times the available slots.
Furthermore, each person had only about 20 minutes to eat – an extremely tight schedule. While this was unfortunate for customers, thanks to cooperation from those in the early time slots who finished quickly, later customers were able to enjoy their meals more leisurely.
Professional Interior Design and Dedication to Taste
The store’s interior is surprisingly professional for a YouTuber-run establishment. Rebuilt from scratch as a skeleton frame, it features a counter-only design focused on maximizing sales.
The dedication to taste is thorough, with noodles brought in from Kobe and soup recreated to match the original store’s flavor. The thin noodles are easy to eat, creating a taste that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults.
Hikaru Stands for 6 Hours Serving Customers
Although Hikaru initially planned to take breaks, he ended up serving customers while standing for nearly 6 hours straight.
“Honestly, I really felt how difficult customer service work is,” said Hikaru. At first, the atmosphere was tense and he was unsure how to liven things up, but gradually he became comfortable and was able to chat naturally with customers.
Hikaru said pouring water was the most enjoyable task. Seeing customers’ smiles made all the fatigue disappear.
Fans Who Traveled From Across Japan
What’s surprising is the number of fans who came from far away.
- Someone who spent 110,000 yen on transportation from Sapporo
- Visitors from Kumamoto
- People from all over Japan including Hiroshima, Niigata, and Kobe
Moreover, they came specifically for Benten-ya during New Year’s Eve, when transportation costs are at their highest.
One person even had their wedding ceremony the next day, and Hikaru was deeply moved that they chose to visit Benten-ya on the day before such an important life event.
Heartwarming Interactions with Devoted Fans
Throughout the event, there were many interactions with fans.
- Long-time fans who have been watching since the Hikaru Games era
- People who fall asleep watching Hikaru’s videos every night
- Devoted fans who listen to videos constantly even at work
- Local fans who have visited the original store multiple times
Each shared their memories and episodes, and Hikaru felt once again that continuing YouTube had been worthwhile.
Surprisingly, there were also many fans of Soma. A customer who looked like Soma visited, and people saying “Soma is my favorite” appeared, showing that the channel is loved for all its members.
Repaying Taisho’s Kindness
This Tokyo expansion has strong meaning as Hikaru’s way of repaying Taisho.
Taisho has supported Hikaru since he was 19 and still unknown. He stayed by Hikaru’s side even during controversies.
Currently, Taisho has knee problems and works while receiving injections. Hikaru’s goal is to “create an environment where Taisho can earn the same amount without working.” To achieve this, he plans to make this Tokyo store successful and expand with more locations.
Future Development Plans
Benten-ya Ginza Yurakucho store plans the following developments:
- Adding menu items like fried rice
- Starting alcohol service
- Multi-store expansion with 2nd and 3rd locations
- Uber Eats delivery service
Particularly for late-night Uber Eats demand, which is expected to be high, 24-hour operation is also being considered for the future.
Staff Recruitment Now Open!
Benten-ya Ginza Yurakucho store is currently recruiting staff.
The staff working at the opening were all young and excellent. There are even high school part-timers, including someone with the unique reason of “working to beat game gacha addiction.”
If you’re a fan of Hikaru’s channel and want to help make Benten-ya thrive, why not consider applying?
Store Information
Benten-ya Ginza Yurakucho Store
Address: 〒100-0006 Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku, Yurakucho 1-2-9 Kinko Hotel Building 1F
Business Hours: 11:00~23:00 (L.O 22:30)
Closed: Open year-round (planned)
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Conveniently located close to Tokyo Station and just steps from Yurakucho Station.
Benten-ya Hanada Store (Original Location)
Address: 〒671-0251 Hyogo Prefecture, Himeji City, Hanada-cho Kamiharada 2-9
Business Hours: 11:30~15:00 (L.O 14:30) / 18:00~22:00 (L.O 21:00)
Closed: Every Monday
Summary
Despite opening at the worst possible timing on New Year’s Eve, it was a wonderful day with amazing customers and staff.
Hikaru expresses his determination: “I’ll work hard so that the store will still be here 1 year, 2 years from now.”
Why not experience Benten-ya’s taste for yourself? And after your visit, please give us a 5-star rating on Google Reviews!
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