Gatsuya

Gatsuya is a lava-stone grill izakaya a five-minute walk from JR Kusatsu Station in Shiga Prefecture, built around its signature grilling stones used to cook Omi beef, Omi chicken, and Kurabo pork tableside. The crowd is mixed-age and mostly local -- coworkers, families, and groups of friends -- and the atmosphere is lively but food-focused rather than club-like, with the sizzle of the grill as the main sound rather than music. Dress is casual and there is no age minimum beyond Japan's legal drinking age of 20. The drinks list is standard izakaya fare: draft beer, highballs, shochu, and a selection of sake meant to accompany the grilled meat rather than a dedicated cocktail programme. Gatsuya runs the same 17:00-to-midnight service daily, without a distinct weekend extension, which makes it one of the more reliably open venues near Kusatsu Station on any night of the week. There is no cover charge, and seating is table-based with the grill stones brought to the table; reservations are advisable for weekend evenings given the venue's popularity for its meat selection, though walk-ins are accepted when tables are free.