My friend who’s family owns Otani put up this notice that it will be closing it’s doors next weekend. I realize this is a longshot, but they are pushing to raise 25k to stay open and hopefully revitalize Otani. From my understanding, Otani was the first restaurant in Columbus to serve sushi, back in 1978. If you can, stop by and help them out.

Otani Facebook

Quote: Good Morning Columbus,

Today we must unfortunately announce that this may very well be our last week of business after very nearly 30 years of serving Columbus; we will be closing our doors at end of business of next Saturday September 28th which will actually be 2:30AM that Sunday. This development is very sudden for us too and is the result of a combination of factors. For one thing, the last few years have been especially difficult due to a severe stroke suffered by Mrs. Maya Honda, Owner Mr.Honda’s wife, who was a key person in the business and absolutely instrumental in so many ways. Mrs.Honda is currently doing well and Mr.Honda spends much of his time with her now.

We are going to do our damndest to stay open beyond next Saturday. If we can ring $25,000 between today and end of business next Saturday there is a good chance we can stay open and possibly secure some funding to revive Otani. Make no mistake, this is a campaign to save Otani and it is being headed by General Manager Sean Cristales and Me, Rick Honda Mr.Honda’s son.

Let it be noted that General Manager Sean Cristales has done a commendable job at Otani; without him Otani could certainly have shut down two years ago, shortly after Mrs.Honda’s stroke.

So here we are, this is the situation. Otani was the first restaurant to serve sushi in Columbus and much of the Mid-West and the epicenter of some notorious and legendary partying by so many of you. It is our greatest wish to continue, to restore and to revive Otani and thrive in Columbus; so we invite you to Otani for that last great Otani Party which we hope and pray won’t be the last but the first of a new chapter of a new Otani.

We are staffed up and readied to host an incredible week of serious Japanese food, Partying, Karaoke and other music; first or last, this that or whatever, we are going to party so hard this week that I can already barely remember what happened. We are going to have an awesome and epic time this entire week. Please make a reservation.

Come to Otani, Save Otani, Party Otani!!!!

We are gonna do this!!!

Yours Truly,

Your Friendly Neighborhood Rick Honda(in the Spiderman sense not the grammatically incorrect one)

More updates and information to come.