Hi, I’m the owner of Kaiebi (貝と海老そして蟹 / Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab), a small seafood counter in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. If you’re going to be in the city between September 19 and 23 this year, there’s something worth knowing before you plan your dinners: that week is a Japanese national holiday called Silver Week, and it changes how the city feels — and how easy it is to get a seat at a small place like ours.
So here’s a short, honest guide from the inside of a six-seat counter.
What Silver Week 2026 actually is
Japan has two public holidays in late September: Respect for the Aged Day (Monday, September 21) and Autumnal Equinox Day (Wednesday, September 23). This year they fall two days apart, and under Japanese law the weekday sandwiched between two holidays — Tuesday, September 22 — becomes a holiday too. Add the weekend in front, and you get a five-day break: Saturday, September 19 through Wednesday, September 23.
That’s a big deal domestically. A lot of Japanese people travel during these five days, and Osaka is one of the places they travel *to*. So if you’re visiting from abroad, you’ll be sharing Shinsaibashi and Namba not only with other international visitors, but with a lot of Japanese travelers on holiday as well.
First, the one day we’re closed
Let me get this out of the way: we’ll be closed all day on Tuesday, September 22.
We’re a family-run place, and that’s the one day of the holiday we’re taking off. The other days of Silver Week are not fixed in stone either — our holidays are irregular in general, and I can’t promise a schedule in a blog post. The reliable way to check is the reservation form linked at the bottom of this page: it shows which dates are actually open, so you can confirm your day before you count on it.
Why a small counter fills up faster during a holiday
We have six counter seats. That’s the whole restaurant. Even on an ordinary evening, those six seats can be taken, and during a holiday week the whole neighborhood gets busier, so seats tend to fill up earlier in the evening than usual.
I’m not saying “you’ll never get in without a reservation.” But if you have a specific date in Osaka and you’d like to be sure of a seat, the simplest thing is to reserve as soon as your date is set, rather than deciding on the night.
If you’re curious what a place this size is like — who’s cooking, who’s pouring, why it doesn’t feel the same every night — I wrote about that in what a family-run 6-seat counter is actually like.
How to reserve (and what to do at the last minute)
Here’s how it works in practice:
– Ahead of time: use the online reservation form (link at the bottom). It’s the same form for any date, and it’s the easiest way to book without a phone call.
– On the day, until 7:00 PM: the online form still works for same-day bookings.
– After 7:00 PM on the day: the form closes, so please call us at 06-6213-3881. If you’re thinking “can we come by right now?”, the phone is the right route.
– If nobody answers: that doesn’t mean we’re full. It usually means we’re in the middle of cooking or serving and can’t pick up. Please give it a little time and try again.
A note on language: we have an English menu, and while our English isn’t perfect, we’re happy to work through it with you. A short call in simple English is completely fine.
A quieter option: the daytime slot
Something many visitors don’t know: we’re also open from 12:00 to 17:00 — but only for one reserved party per day.
During the daytime it’s just me in the restaurant, so that slot is for a course meal, or an à la carte reservation that includes our live lobster. In exchange, your group has the entire counter to yourselves for that time. During a holiday week when the evenings are busy, a slow daytime meal with nobody else in the room is, honestly, a pretty good way to use a free afternoon in your itinerary.
Two things to keep in mind: daytime reservations need to be made at least three days in advance, and this is a reservation-only slot, so there’s no walk-in for it.
Traveling as a group of four or more?
If your party is four people or more, you can also ask about booking the whole counter privately. We can seat up to eight for a private booking, and the budget and day of the week are things we’ll talk through with you when you ask.
Families sometimes ask whether children are okay. We’re a small counter with no dedicated kids’ seating or menu, so please mention your children’s ages when you reserve and we’ll tell you honestly whether we can make it work that day. (One thing that helps: the restaurant has been smoke-free since August.)
What to expect once you’re seated
Our signature dish is live lobster, steamed whole in a cast-iron pot with white wine and herbs. You’ll see it alive first, and once it’s ready I bring the pot to the counter and lift the lid in front of you. If you’d like to know what to do after that, I wrote a separate post on how to eat our live lobster, in order.
Lobster isn’t the only thing on the menu, though — shellfish is the first word of our English name for a reason, with dishes like steamed clams, mussels, oysters on the half shell, scallop sashimi and fried oysters. To drink, we pour around 30 wines by the glass, with a strong focus on Japanese wine by the glass, plus beer, highballs, lemon sours, shochu, soft drinks, and sake from a brewery in my hometown that’s rarely seen in the Kansai region.
If anyone in your group has an allergy or something they can’t eat, please tell us when you book. Where possible we’ll substitute, though some steps in the cooking can’t be changed — so it’s much easier to sort out in advance than at the counter.
FAQ
Q. When is Silver Week 2026?
Saturday, September 19 through Wednesday, September 23, 2026. September 21 is Respect for the Aged Day, September 23 is Autumnal Equinox Day, and September 22 becomes a holiday because it falls between them.
Q. Are you open during Silver Week?
We’re closed on Tuesday, September 22. For the other days, our holidays are irregular, so please check the online reservation form — it shows which dates are open.
Q. How far in advance should I book?
For dinner, as soon as your date is set — holiday evenings fill up earlier than usual. For the daytime one-party slot, at least three days ahead.
Q. Can I book on the same day?
Yes. The online form works until 7:00 PM on the day; after that, please call 06-6213-3881. If we don’t pick up, we’re probably busy at the counter — please try again after a little while.
Q. Do I need to speak Japanese?
No. We have an English menu, and our English is friendly if not perfect. Simple English on the phone or at the counter is fine.
Q. Can we bring children?
Please ask when you reserve and let us know their ages. We’re a small counter without kids’ seating or a kids’ menu, so we’ll be honest about what we can do on the day.
Enjoy the holiday week in Osaka — and if one of those evenings ends up at our counter, we’ll be glad to see you.
Thank you for reading!
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Kaiebi (貝と海老そして蟹) — Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab
📍 2-7-11 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka (Nippo Royal Building 1F)
📞 06-6213-3881
🕐 12:00–17:00 (daytime, one reservation-only party per day) / 17:00–25:00 (last entry 22:30)
📅 Irregular holidays (closed all day on Tuesday, September 22, 2026)
💺 Counter seating for 6 (private bookings from 4 guests, up to 8)