What Yamanaka does

Yamanaka Inc. (株式会社 やま中) is a privately held Japanese specialty restaurant chain founded in February 1984 in Ohashi, Fukuoka, that originated miso-flavored motsunabe (beef offal hot pot) as a culinary category. The company operates four retail restaurant locations — Ohashi Main Store (Fukuoka, 187 seats), Akasaka Store (Fukuoka, 240 seats, 8 private rooms), Hakata Store (Fukuoka, 128 seats, near Hakata Station, opened December 2020), and Ginza Store (Tokyo, 128 seats, opened November 2023) — each with a distinct interior concept ranging from traditional kura-zukuri Japanese to oriental colonial and modern Western styles. The company employs 310 people as of January 2024 and is owned and operated by the Ono family, with Masahiko Ono as Representative Director.

The core product is motsunabe built on a proprietary miso-based soup recipe using multiple Kyushu-produced miso varieties, domestic Japanese beef small intestine (only), and seasonal vegetables, prepared via a specialized cooking method developed over 40 years. The menu extends across three motsunabe styles (miso, soy sauce, shabu-shabu), course meals priced JPY 6,600-8,800, lunch sets around JPY 2,980-3,300, a la carte dishes, finishing noodles/rice porridge, and an original karashi mentaiko (spicy cod roe) sub-product. Revenue mechanics combine dine-in service, pre-order takeout (minimum 2 servings at JPY 2,200 each), and nationwide mail-order delivery via the otoriyose-yamanaka.com e-commerce storefront. Go-to-market is sales-led traditional restaurant GTM with TableCheck reservation integration, a multilingual website (Japanese, English, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese), and Facebook/Instagram social presence. The customer base spans individual diners and food enthusiasts, business and corporate entertainment clients (notably Akasaka), local Fukuoka residents, and inbound tourist traffic at Hakata and Ginza, with no disclosed B2B anchor contracts.

Name

Yamanaka

Legal name

株式会社 やま中

Website

https://motsunabe-yamanaka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yamanaka is a Japanese specialty motsunabe restaurant chain founded in 1984 in Fukuoka, operating four dine-in locations across Fukuoka and Tokyo, serving general diners, corporate clients, and tourists with its proprietary miso-based motsunabe and nationwide mail-order delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fukuoka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Service: Full-service restaurant operations at 4 locations offering motsunabe hot pot, a la carte dishes, course meals, lunch sets, and beverages. Revenue from food, beverage, and table service charges.
2. Take-out/Takeaway Service: Motsunabe sets and spicy cod roe (karashi mentaiko) available for takeaway. Pre-order required, customers pick up at stores.
3. Mail Order / Delivery (お取り寄せ): Mail order service for motsunabe sets and original spicy cod roe for nationwide delivery in Japan.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Yamanaka operates a chain of specialty restaurants serving Hakata motsunabe (beef offal hot pot) at four locations in Fukuoka and Tokyo, founded in 1984 as the originator of miso-based motsunabe. The company offers three signature motsunabe broth styles (miso, soy sauce, and shabu-shabu), multi-dish course meals, lunch sets, a la carte dishes, take-out sets, and mail-order products including original spicy cod roe (karashi mentaiko).

Product overview

Yamanaka operates as a specialtyMotsunabe (offal hot pot) restaurant chain with four locations in Fukuoka and Tokyo. The core offering consists of three motsunabe varieties (Miso, Soy Sauce, and Shabu-shabu style) served with various add-on dishes and courses. The product portfolio centers on the signature Miso Motsunabe as the origin of miso-style motsunabe culture, complemented by Soy Sauce and Shabu-shabu style variations. Additional offerings include complete course meals (Yamanaka Course in 9/10/11 dish options), single-person Yamanaka Gozen set meals, lunch sets with Hakata specialties, take-out motsunabe service, original karashi mentaiko (spicy cod roe), a la carte side dishes, finishing noodles/rice porridge, and desserts. The company expanded to Tokyo's Ginza district in 2023 and operates stores with distinct spatial concepts ranging from traditional Japanese (Ohashi Main) to modern Western (Akasaka) to exotic colonial (Hakata) to elegant Japanese (Ginza).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Miso Motsunabe (味噌もつ鍋) Signature miso-flavored motsunabe using only Japanese-domestic beef small intestine and a proprietary blend of Kyushu-produced miso varieties, served with seasonal vegetables. Priced at 3,300 JPY per person.
• Soy Sauce Motsunabe (醤油もつ鍋)

Quantifiable outcome

• Orders served within 10 minutes of placement
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TableCheckcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline reservation platform integrated into Yamanaka's website for all 4 store locations. Enables customers to make advance reservations through dedicated store booking pages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tsukada Farm (塚田農場): Tsukada Farm is a regional Japanese cuisine izakaya chain specializing in local chicken and farm-to-table concepts. Comparable to Yamanaka as a premium regional Japanese cuisine chain operating multiple locations, with similar reliance on proprietary recipes and ingredient sourcing for differentiation.
• Umenohana (梅の花): Umenohana is a premium Japanese cuisine chain specializing in tofu and kaiseki-style meals. It is comparable to Yamanaka as a specialty Japanese restaurant chain with proprietary recipes, formal dining atmosphere, multi-course menus, and a similar price point and target customer (commemorative dining, business entertainment).
• Shabu-shabu Onyasai (しゃぶしゃぶ温野菜): Onyasai is a Japanese hot pot (shabu-shabu) chain with over 200 locations nationally. It is comparable to Yamanaka as a specialty hot pot restaurant operator, though focused on shabu-shabu rather than motsunabe. It serves as a benchmark for hot pot chain scaling economics and franchise model potential.
• Mo-Mo-Paradise: Mo-Mo-Paradise is a shabu-shabu and sukiyaki buffet chain with locations across Japan and internationally. Comparable to Yamanaka as a hot pot specialist chain, though operating in a more casual all-you-can-eat format versus Yamanaka's premium a la carte model.
• Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku (博多もつ鍋 笑楽): Shoraku is a motsunabe specialist with multiple locations primarily in Fukuoka. It directly competes with Yamanaka in the motsunabe category, offering both dine-in and mail order services. The comparable operating model (specialized restaurant + takeout + mail order) makes it a strong direct comparable for unit economics.
• Yamaraya (やまや): Yamaraya is a motsunabe specialty restaurant chain with multiple locations across Japan. It is the most direct competitor to Yamanaka, sharing the same core product (motsunabe), similar target customer (groups and families), and overlapping Fukuoka/Tokyo geography. Unlike Yamanaka's premium positioning, Yamaraya operates in a more casual segment allowing direct comparison of strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Ukai (うかい): Ukai is an established premium Japanese cuisine group operating high-end restaurants and ryotei. Comparable to Yamanaka as a premium Japanese dining operator with strong brand heritage, formal atmospheres, and multi-course offerings, though at a higher price point and broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Ichiran (一蘭): Ichiran is a famous Fukuoka-origin tonkotsu ramen chain with global presence. It shares Fukuoka heritage with Yamanaka and demonstrates the potential for a regional Japanese specialty to scale into a national brand. Comparable as a benchmark for specialty Fukuoka cuisine brand expansion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/motsunabe.yamanaka
• Instagraminstagram.com/motsunabe.yamanaka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yamanaka