--- title: "Bar Yoku vs Kinji: Which is more popular in New Zealand?" description: "Is Bar Yoku or Kinji more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Christchurch Japanese restaurants set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/bar-yoku-vs-kinji" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Bar Yoku vs Kinji: Which is more popular in New Zealand? Is Bar Yoku or Kinji more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Christchurch Japanese restaurants set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Bar Yoku and Kinji - **Competitive set**: Christchurch Japanese restaurants - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Bar Yoku Share of Search**: 30.9% - **Kinji Share of Search**: 11.1% ## Is Bar Yoku or Kinji more popular in search? - In October 2026, Bar Yoku had more branded searches than Kinji among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand. Bar Yoku had about 8,100 branded searches, while Kinji had 2,920. Bar Yoku made up 30.9% of all Christchurch Japanese restaurant searches we track, and Kinji accounted for 11.1%. - Bar Yoku was ahead of Kinji in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Bar Yoku’s share of searches among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand moved from 31.4% to 30.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 8.1K. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Kinji’s share of searches among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand moved from 9.4% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 2.9K. ## Top Christchurch Japanese restaurants in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions, Kinji appeared in all three answers. Bar Yoku was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Kinji was listed before Bar Yoku in two out of three answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Kinji | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Sakimoto Japanese Bistro | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Bar Yoku | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Tanoshi | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Hibachi | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Mugen Sushi | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | | Tomi | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | ## Every AI answer about Christchurch Japanese restaurants - Asked ChatGPT "Which Japanese restaurant should I go to in Christchurch, New Zealand?": 1. Bar Yoku, 2. Sakimoto Japanese Bistro, 3. Tanoshi, 4. Kinji, 5. Hibachi - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best Japanese restaurants in Christchurch, New Zealand?": 1. Kinji, 2. Sakimoto Japanese Bistro, 3. Bar Yoku, 4. Hibachi, 5. Tanoshi - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best Japanese restaurant in Christchurch, New Zealand for a sushi meal?": 1. Kinji, 2. Sakimoto Japanese Bistro Not named in any answer: Mugen Sushi and Tomi. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand Christchurch Japanese restaurants in October 2026? - In October 2026, Kinji gained share of searches among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand, from 10.4% to 11.1%. - In October 2026, Bar Yoku lost share of searches among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand, from 35% to 30.9%. ## How has branded search for Bar Yoku and Kinji changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months? | Month | Bar Yoku estimated searches | Bar Yoku Share of Search | Bar Yoku rank | Kinji estimated searches | Kinji Share of Search | Kinji rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | 8.1K | 31.4% | 1 | 2.4K | 9.4% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 8.1K | 27.8% | 1 | 2.9K | 10% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 9.9K | 30.5% | 1 | 3.6K | 11.2% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 9.9K | 34% | 1 | 3.6K | 12.4% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 9.9K | 35% | 1 | 2.9K | 10.3% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 8.1K | 30.3% | 1 | 2.9K | 10.9% | 5 | | May 2026 | 9.9K | 39.7% | 1 | 1.9K | 7.7% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 8.1K | 35.2% | 1 | 2.4K | 10.5% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | 8.1K | 31.7% | 1 | 2.9K | 11.4% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 8.1K | 32.1% | 1 | 2.9K | 11.6% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 8.1K | 35% | 1 | 2.4K | 10.4% | 5 | | Oct 2026 | 8.1K | 30.9% | 1 | 2.9K | 11.1% | 5 | ## How are Bar Yoku’s and Kinji’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bar Yoku’s and Kinji’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Bar Yoku**: Measured on the search term “bar yoku”. - **Kinji**: Measured on the search terms “kinji menu” and “kinji restaurant”, summed into one figure. - [Bar Yoku profile](/demand/nz/brands/bar-yoku) - [Kinji profile](/demand/nz/brands/kinji) - [All Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand](/demand/nz/locations/christchurch/japanese-restaurants): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Bar Yoku or Kinji more popular in search? In October 2026, Bar Yoku had more branded searches than Kinji among Christchurch Japanese restaurants in New Zealand. Bar Yoku had about 8,100 branded searches, while Kinji had 2,920. Bar Yoku made up 30.9% of all Christchurch Japanese restaurant searches we track, and Kinji accounted for 11.1%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Bar Yoku vs Kinji: Which is more popular in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/bar-yoku-vs-kinji This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/bar-yoku-vs-kinji. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.