Shibata's Only Matsuya, Shibata Store, Goes 24-Hour From October 1

Matsuya Shibata Store (2023) in Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture, switched its previously day-of-week-based operating hours to 24-hour operation on all days of the week, effective October 1, 2026. As of that date, the official website’s store information page lists the store’s hours as “24-hour operation.”

From Day-by-Day Hours to 24-Hour Operation

Before the change, Shibata Store’s operating hours were finely divided by day of the week. Monday through Thursday and holidays ran from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the following day, Friday opened at 6:00 a.m., Saturday was 24-hour operation, and Sunday ran until 2:00 a.m. the following day — meaning the store closed once at 2:00 a.m. on weekdays.

Starting October 1, this was unified into 24-hour operation on every day of the week, making the store available at any time regardless of day or hour. The gap in service from late night into early morning on weekdays has disappeared, and — including the continuous run from Friday through Sunday — the store now operates without interruption throughout the week.

The Only Matsuya in Shibata City

Shibata Store is the only currently operating Matsuya location within Shibata City, Niigata Prefecture. With this switch, that single store has become one that operates around the clock.

The store also co-locates Matsuya, known for its Beef Bowl, with the tonkatsu chain Matsunoya, offering both Beef Bowl and Set Meal items alongside tonkatsu in a single location.

24-Hour Matsuya Locations in Niigata Prefecture Reach 12

There are 16 currently operating Matsuya locations in Niigata Prefecture. With this change, the number operating 24 hours increased from 11 to 12, meaning roughly three-quarters (75%) of the prefecture’s locations now operate around the clock.

Even so, 991 of Matsuya’s 1,215 locations nationwide — about 81.6% — operate 24 hours, meaning Niigata Prefecture’s share still falls short of the national average. In regional areas, late-night operating styles still vary from store to store, and the kind of unification into round-the-clock service seen at Shibata Store can be seen as one step toward closing this regional gap.

Operating Hour Reviews Continue Across the Country

Switches in operating hours have been happening one after another at Matsuya locations across the country. Within Niigata Prefecture, Nagaoka Store had just switched from day-of-week-based hours to 24-hour operation on all days on September 15 — half a month earlier — in the same way as Shibata Store. Outside the prefecture, Komatsu Hinodecho Store, once the only Matsuya in Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, moved to 24-hour operation in August, while Echizen Sempuku Store in Fukui Prefecture returned to 24-hour operation in August after repeated switches back and forth. On the other hand, some stores, such as Toyama Fuchu Store in Toyama Prefecture, have ended 24-hour operation and moved to shortened hours, suggesting that operating styles are being reviewed according to region and location. Shibata Store’s move to 24-hour operation is a change that falls within this broader trend.