Via Holdings Yutai: ¥500 Coupons Used at Uoya Icchou in Shinjuku
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A ¥1,200 lunch for ¥700: that is what one shareholder coupon from Via Holdings did for me. Via Holdings is the holding company behind a group of izakaya (Japanese pub) and other restaurant businesses across Japan, and its yutai is a set of ¥500 discount coupons that can be used at participating Via Group restaurants. I wrote this guide for English speakers who live in Japan.
New to yutai?
The basics guide explains how yutai work, including the record date and opening a brokerage account as a foreign resident.
Via Holdings' yutai
According to Via Holdings' investor relations page, shareholders who hold 100 shares or more on the last day of March receive coupons. From the March 2026 record date, the number of coupons is:
| Shares held | Coupons per year | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 100 to 299 | 16 | ¥8,000 |
| 300 to 599 | 24 | ¥12,000 |
| 600 to 999 | 36 | ¥18,000 |
| 1,000 to 4,999 | 48 | ¥24,000 |
| 5,000 to 9,999 | 72 | ¥36,000 |
| 10,000 or more | 96 | ¥48,000 |
My coupons are valid from July 2026 to June 30, 2027, so check the expiry date on yours.
How to get the coupons
- Open an account at a Japanese broker (see the basics guide).
- Buy at least 100 shares by the last day with rights (権利付き最終日, kenri-tsuki saishū-bi). It is normally two business days before the record date, according to Daiwa Securities, and your broker shows the exact date. The record date is the end of March. If the schedule stays the same, the next one would be March 31, 2027, and the last day to buy would be Monday, March 29, 2027.
- Hold the shares through the record date (権利確定日, kenri kakutei-bi), so you are on the shareholder list.
- Receive the coupons. The current IR page and FAQ do not state when they are mailed, and I could not find a current 2026-specific mailing date. My coupons, for the March 2026 record date, are valid from July 2026.
- Check the restaurant list and the ticket-machine rule before you go.
A real lunch at Uoya Icchou
I went alone for a weekday lunch in early August 2026, to the Shinjuku Sankocho branch of Uoya Icchou. It is a sashimi izakaya (Japanese pub) run by Icchō, a company in the Via Group. In the evening it serves seafood dishes, and at lunch it offers set meals.
I ordered the three-color seafood bowl (sanshoku kaisen-don) for ¥1,200, tax included. It has tuna, salmon and negitoro (minced tuna with scallion) on rice, with shiso leaf, pickled ginger and wasabi. The set comes with miso soup, pickles and a small side dish, and a large portion of rice was free. My tray also had a piece of tamagoyaki (rolled omelet).
The lunch menu says rice refills are free and every set comes with coffee. On the menu page in the photo below, the sets I can read cost between ¥900 and ¥1,300, including the zangi (fried chicken) set at ¥900 and the sashimi set at ¥1,300.
In my opinion, the bowl was good for the price. The fish was fresh and thick, the miso soup had a good broth, and the potato salad was a nice break between bites.
Using the coupon was simple. I handed it over at checkout, with no registration or application:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Three-color seafood bowl (tax included) | ¥1,200 |
| Shareholder coupon (¥500 × 1) | −¥500 |
| Paid | ¥700 |
Before you buy
Yutai can change or end. Via Holdings itself changed the number of coupons from the March 2026 record date. Stock prices also go up and down, and the coupons are discounts, not free meals. Check the company's current rules before you buy.
More in this series
- Yutai Guide for English Speakers in Japan: How Shareholder Perks Work
- Pasona Group Yutai: NARUTO & BORUTO at Nijigen no Mori on One Share
Update history
- October 5, 2026: First published
Disclaimer
This article is a personal record and general information. It is not investment advice. Stock prices go up and down, and perks change. Check the official pages: Via Holdings IR page and the FAQ on the ¥500 shareholder coupon.