A Day at Itadaki: Serving World Cosplay Summit Participants

Here's the short answer: getting to Itadaki from Nagoya Station takes about 10 minutes by subway, and the last stretch is a 4-minute walk from Yabacho Station Exit 4. But if you've already tried navigating Osu's winding shopping streets once before, you'll know that "4-minute walk" and "easy to find" aren't always the same thing — especially when you're hungry, possibly in costume, and the sign you're looking for is written entirely in Japanese on the second floor of a building.

This guide is specifically for World Cosplay Summit participants and visitors making their way through Osu district. Whether you've just come from the grand parade at Oasis 21 or you're planning your lunch stop between events, here's exactly how to find us — step by step, no guesswork needed.

Who This Is For

• ✅ World Cosplay Summit participants looking for a memorable lunch stop in Osu
• ✅ First-time visitors to Osu district who find the shopping street maze overwhelming
• ✅ Travelers worried about missing Itadaki because it's on the 2nd floor with Japanese-only signage
• ✅ Anyone arriving from Nagoya Station or a hotel in the city center who wants the clearest possible route
• ✅ Guests wondering whether to reserve in advance or walk in during the Summit weekend

Step 1: Getting from Nagoya Station to Yabacho

Start at Nagoya Station — Japan's fourth-busiest station and the most likely place you'll be coming from if you're staying in central Nagoya. The goal is Yabacho Station on the Meijo Subway Line.

Here's the most straightforward route:

1. From Nagoya Station, take the Higashiyama Line (the yellow line) eastbound toward Fujigaoka.
2. Get off at Sakae Station — two stops, about 4 minutes.
3. At Sakae, transfer to the Meijo Line (the purple circle line). Follow the signs toward Kanayama direction.
4. Get off at the very next stop: Yabacho Station.

Total travel time from Nagoya Station: approximately 10 minutes. Total cost: around ¥210–¥230 with an IC card (Suica and ICOCA are accepted on Nagoya's subway).

If you're already in Sakae — for example, after attending World Cosplay Summit events at Oasis 21 — Yabacho is literally one stop away. It's that close.

Step 2: Exit Yabacho Station and Walk to Itadaki

This is the part where most first-time visitors get turned around, so let's be precise.

1. Exit through Exit 4 at Yabacho Station. This exit is the one closest to Osu and to Hisaya-odori Garden Flarie, so it's well-signposted even in English.
2. Once you're at street level, walk toward the Osu shopping area. The main Osu Shopping Street entrance is visible from this direction.
3. Walk for approximately 4 minutes. Itadaki is at 4-1-20 Osu, 2nd floor, Naka-ku.
4. Look for the sign at street level that reads 「元祖レア牛丼 頂」 (pronounced: Ganso Rea Gyudon Itadaki). This is how you know you've found the right building.
5. Take the stairs up to the 2nd floor. The restaurant is directly at the top.

One thing worth knowing: Itadaki does not have a ground-floor street presence the way a café or konbini does. The 2nd-floor location is intentional — it creates a quieter, more focused dining experience — but it does mean you need to look up, not just straight ahead. If you're using Google Maps, we recommend switching to Street View once you're in the immediate area, as GPS precision can be slightly off inside Osu's dense block structure.

You can also access the Google Maps link directly from our official page at itadaki8.com/english/.

✓ Key Takeaways

• Yabacho Station Exit 4 (Meijo Line) is your destination — 10 minutes from Nagoya Station by subway via Sakae transfer.
• Look for the Japanese sign 「元祖レア牛丼 頂」 at street level, then take the stairs to the 2nd floor.
• Google Maps works for the area, but Street View helps you identify the correct building entrance.

Step 3: Timing Your Visit During World Cosplay Summit

World Cosplay Summit draws enormous crowds to Osu — and that energy is wonderful. But it also means that lunchtime on event days can see higher foot traffic throughout the district. Here's what to keep in mind:

Itadaki operates lunch service only, open from 11:00 to 15:00 (last order at 14:30) on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. Cosplay Summit's main parade and outdoor events typically run through the late morning and early afternoon — which puts peak hunger squarely inside our service window.

Our Horai Wagyu Rare Gyudon is limited to just 10 bowls per day. With 500,000 wagyu cattle raised across Japan annually, Horai Wagyu accounts for only 300 heads — produced by just 3 farms in Aichi Prefecture. On busy event days, those 10 bowls can disappear by midday.

Our strong recommendation for Summit weekends: reserve in advance via Tabelog Online. When making your reservation, paste the following phrase into the notes field to request the Horai Wagyu: 鳳来牛希望

If you're walking in without a reservation, arriving right at 11:00 opening gives you the best chance. Our Mikawa Beef Rare Gyudon — prepared with the same two-stage cooking technique — is always available as a walk-in option and is equally worth your time.

If you're curious about what it's actually like to visit Itadaki as a cosplay participant, take a look at one guest's account of their World Cosplay Summit day, from the parade to the rare wagyu bowl — it gives you a feel for how the timing works in practice.

Step 4: What to Expect When You Arrive

Once you're up the stairs and through the door, the atmosphere shifts immediately. Eighteen seats, all sofa-style — a deliberate choice that makes the space feel comfortable and unhurried rather than rushed. Counter seats are available for solo visitors; the larger sofa tables work well for groups who've just come in together from Summit events.

Our menu is fully printed in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean, with photos and a step-by-step visual guide titled "How to Enjoy Rare Gyudon." You don't need Japanese to order — point-and-order works perfectly, and our staff is genuinely happy to welcome international visitors.

One question we get often from Summit visitors: Can I come in costume? The short answer is yes. If you'd like more detail on that, we've written about it separately in a dedicated piece on arriving in cosplay — worth a read before your visit.

"Perfect lunch during our Nagoya stay before our Shirakawa-go trip the following day."

— Guest review

That review came from visitors who used their Nagoya lunch stop as the pivot point between city and countryside. Osu to Nagoya Station is 10 minutes by subway. Nagoya Station to Shirakawa-go by highway bus is about 2.5 hours. The geography is forgiving — a 15:00 lunch finish still leaves time to catch an afternoon bus connection.

Step 5: After Lunch — Back into Osu

One of the reasons Itadaki fits naturally into a Cosplay Summit day is its location inside Osu itself. After your meal, you're already in the middle of one of Nagoya's most interesting neighborhoods. Osu Kannon Temple is a 5-minute walk. The main shopping arcade stretches in multiple directions from where you'll be standing. Hisaya-odori Garden Flarie — a free-admission garden with six themed sections — is just 3 minutes from Yabacho Station, the same station you came in through.

There's no need to reverse your route just to get back to the event area. The Meijo Line runs in a loop, so depending on where your next stop is, you can continue in either direction from Yabacho.

For a broader picture of what a full Nagoya day looks like when World Cosplay Summit is the backdrop, this first-person account of combining Summit events with an Itadaki lunch stop captures the rhythm well.

Before You Go: A Quick Checklist

• 📍 Station: Yabacho Station, Meijo Subway Line, Exit 4 (4-minute walk to Itadaki)
• 🕐 Hours: 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:30), Sat / Sun / Mon / Tue only. Check the monthly schedule on Instagram for irregular closures during event weekends.
• 🐄 Horai Wagyu: Limited to 10 bowls daily — reserve via Tabelog and note 鳳来牛希望 in the comments.
• 📋 Menu: English, Chinese, and Korean menus with photos are available in-store.
• 🏢 Entrance: Look for 「元祖レア牛丼 頂」 at street level, then stairs to 2nd floor.
• 💳 Payment: Please check our official page for current payment options.

Osu doesn't have to be confusing. With a clear station exit, one sign to look for, and a single flight of stairs, Itadaki is more straightforward to reach than the neighborhood's labyrinthine reputation suggests. The 10-minute subway ride from Nagoya Station is the longer part of the journey — and once you're seated with a bowl of rare wagyu in front of you, it will feel like the most efficient travel decision of your trip.

For our complete menu, access details, and store information, visit our official page at https://itadaki8.com/english/