Ginza Private Venue Hire for 20: 5 Things to Check First
A party of 20 is, in fact, an awkward size to place. Many restaurants set their minimum for private hire at around 20, so whether you reach that line changes how your booking is treated. Chura Shabu-tei in Ginza 8-chome takes private hire from 20 guests. The 5 things to check are the minimum headcount, the seating plan, the timing, the payment and the day of the week.
20 sits right at the entry point for private hire
A department, a club, a group of colleagues who joined the same year. Around 20 people is the most common size for a party. Yet once you start looking for a venue, you notice how awkward that number is. Too many for a private room, not enough for a large-hall buyout. It sits in between.
In practice, 20 lands exactly on the minimum for private hire at many restaurants. Chura Shabu-tei covers 20 to 50 guests. In other words, 20 is just enough to take the place privately, and 1 guest below that changes the nature of the conversation. So the sooner an organizer pins the headcount down, the stronger the position.
Turn that around and a party of exactly 20 has a real chance of getting the whole restaurant. The conditions are easier than for a party of 40, and the sense of one shared room is easier to create than with 10. Get the arrangement right and it is the size that ends the evening on the best note.
There is another advantage to 20 that gets overlooked: it is small enough to picture the whole venue over the phone. With 100 guests you have to visit in person before your worries about circulation go away, but with 20 you only need 2 answers, how many tables there are and whether there is a private room, to see how the evening will look. The time an organizer would spend on a site visit goes into announcements and the running order instead.
The 5 things an organizer checks first
1. Do you meet the minimum headcount for private hire?
When you say 20 guests, is the restaurant holding the whole place, or only part of the seating? Leave that vague and you find another group sitting next to you on the day. On the first call, say the words: can we take the place privately with 20 people?
2. Can everyone be seated?
Seating 20 is not difficult. Chura Shabu-tei seats up to 45, so there is room to spare. Even so, check the layout. There are 3 tables for 4, 3 tables for 6 and 5 counter seats, and how you combine them changes the mood of the evening.
3. How much time can you get?
Parties running over 2 and a half hours are accommodated. Doors open at 17:00, last order is 22:30 for food and 23:00 for drinks. A 19:00 start leaves plenty of room. If you plan speeches, awards or entertainment, pull the start time earlier.
4. How payment works
Collecting 20 people’s contributions in cash and counting it on the spot is a heavy job for an organizer. VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX and Diners cards are accepted, so you can settle the whole bill at once and square up afterwards. Give the name for the receipt when you book and the check goes faster on the day.
5. Restrictions by day of the week
Sundays and public holidays are closed. Saturdays are by reservation only; it may be possible if you call ahead, but contact is needed at least 3 days in advance. A weekday is the most straightforward choice, and if you are considering a Saturday, move early.
What to say on the phone
Give all 5 at once and the restaurant can answer immediately. In practice it sounds like this: the 2nd Friday of next month, from 19:00, around 20 people, and we are thinking of taking the place privately. Minimum 20, maximum 26. Low ¥10,000s per person, and we would like all-you-can-drink. It is an in-house welcome and farewell party, with 1 guest of honor. Say that much and all that is left is to wait for a yes or no.
How to arrange the seating for 20
Even at 20, the seating plan changes the character of the evening. Work backwards from the purpose.
| Arrangement | Feel of the evening | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Built around tables for 6 | Conversation stays within each table | Department drinks, groups who know each other well |
| Using more tables for 4 | Several small circles form | Parties with people meeting for the first time, events aimed at mixing |
| Adding the 5 counter seats | Somewhere to put latecomers | Wrap parties where people arrive at different times |
| Combining a private room with a door | Part of the group can talk quietly | Events with visiting guests or senior management present |
If in doubt, put the guest of honor and the organizer in the middle. At 20, a voice carries from one end to the other, so once the center is fixed the evening holds together. The exact table layout also depends on conditions on the day, so mention any preferences when you book.
Assign someone to greet latecomers
At a party of 20, it is easy to skip the reception role. But with nobody at the entrance, anyone arriving late wanders the room looking for a seat. Besides the organizer, pick 1 more person to sit where the entrance is visible. The restaurant is on the 3rd floor of the building, so that is the first thing people see as they come up. That 1 person makes it easier for latecomers to join, and lets the organizer concentrate on running the evening.
At 20 guests, every course is open to you
Courses serve parties from 2 to 45. At 20 you are right in the middle, so any of them is available.
| Course | Price (tax included) | All-you-can-drink |
|---|---|---|
| Okinawan Appetizer Course | ¥6,600 | None |
| Okinawan Appetizer Course | ¥9,900 | 90 minutes |
| Okinawan Appetizer Course | ¥11,000 | 150 minutes |
| Three Selected Okinawan Pork Shabu-shabu Course | ¥9,350 | None |
| Three Selected Okinawan Pork Shabu-shabu Course | ¥12,650 | 90 minutes |
| Three Selected Okinawan Pork Shabu-shabu Course | ¥13,750 | 150 minutes |
The difference in price comes down to whether all-you-can-drink is included and for how long. Whether you build the meal around Okinawan appetizers or around shabu-shabu with Okinawan brand pork depends on the purpose of the evening. If talking is the point, take the former; if the eating itself is meant to be the event, take the latter.
The shabu-shabu courses line up Okinawan brand pork such as Yanbaru Agu pork, Kibimaru pork and pineapple pork. At a party where people are meeting for the first time, those unfamiliar pork names become the conversation. In that sense they are practical: the talking starts without the organizer having to work the room.
The location tells at this size too. Kawabata Building New Wing 3F, 8-5-21 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, a 5-minute walk from Shimbashi Station and a 7-minute walk from Ginza Station. Even when guests are coming from different offices, the travel does not fall unfairly on any one person. Doors open at 17:00, so those leaving on time and those staying a little later can join the same party without strain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if 20 drops to 18?
Private hire starts at 20, so below that it becomes a conversation about reserving seats. Call 03-3573-5529 as soon as you see the number falling and alternatives are easier to work out.
Some guests have foods they cannot eat
Mention it when you book and talk it through. Okinawan cooking includes dishes that divide opinion, such as goya champuru (bitter melon stir-fry), so the earlier this is shared, the smoother the handling on the day.
Can you help with a celebration?
Celebrations and surprises are accommodated. Call ahead and you can arrange a cake (at extra cost) or bring your own. Deciding when in the evening it comes out keeps the running order from slipping.
We have members from overseas
An English menu is available. Okinawan dishes often need explaining, so simply having the menu on the table keeps the conversation going.
Reservations and inquiries
For a private hire of 20, the earlier you move once the date is set, the more options remain. Chura Shabu-tei (Kawabata Building New Wing 3F, 8-5-21 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo / 5 minutes on foot from Shimbashi Station, 7 minutes from Ginza Station). The phone number is 03-3573-5529, and course details are on the official site at https://churashabu.com/
