Aichi Para Games Lunch: A Family's Story of Discovery at Itadaki

You've done everything right. You've mapped out your Para Games schedule, figured out which venues to visit in Nagoya, and even researched lunch spots near the competition sites. But then someone mentions that ultra-rare wagyu place in Osu — the one with only 10 bowls a day — and suddenly a new worry sets in: What if we get there and it's already sold out?

For families visiting Nagoya during the Aichi Para Games 2026, that anxiety is completely understandable. Your time in Nagoya is precious — often just a day or two between events — and you can't afford a wasted trip across the city. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, step by step, so your family's lunch at Itadaki becomes a memory you'll be talking about long after the closing ceremony.

Who This Is For

• ✅ Families attending the Aichi Para Games 2026 with limited time in Nagoya
• ✅ Anyone worried about the Horai Wagyu selling out before they arrive
• ✅ First-time users of Japanese reservation platforms like Tabelog who aren't sure how they work
• ✅ Parents traveling with young children who want comfortable, unhurried seating
• ✅ Visitors who want to experience something beyond the usual tourist lunch — without risking disappointment

Why Horai Wagyu Sells Out — and Why It Matters for Para Games Visitors

Let's start with the facts, because understanding why this happens makes the solution much clearer.

Horai Wagyu is produced by just 3 farms in Japan, with only 300 heads raised annually. To put that in perspective: there are roughly 500,000 wagyu cattle in Japan. Horai Wagyu represents a fraction of a fraction — raised in Okumikawa, deep in Aichi Prefecture, and fed on sake lees from the renowned local premium sake Horaisen Sora. The result is a beef with a flavor profile unlike anything from more well-known wagyu brands: a distinctive balance of light marbling and lean meat character that you genuinely can't find anywhere else in Nagoya.

At Itadaki, founder Masayuki Goto has built the entire restaurant around this philosophy of genuine scarcity. The daily limit of 10 bowls of Horai Wagyu Rare Gyudon isn't a marketing device — it reflects the reality of supply. Goto sources directly from the farms themselves, and what arrives each day is what's available. Full stop.

During major events like the Para Games, lunchtime foot traffic in the Osu district rises significantly. Walk-in visitors arriving at noon or later on a busy event day are frequently met with the news that Horai Wagyu is gone for the day. For a family that traveled to Nagoya with this meal on the itinerary, that's a genuinely disappointing outcome — and one that's entirely avoidable.

Step-by-Step: How to Reserve Horai Wagyu Before You Arrive

Tabelog is Japan's most widely used restaurant reservation and review platform. It may not be familiar to visitors from outside Japan, but the reservation process is simpler than it looks — and it can be completed entirely in English.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Go to the Itadaki reservation page on Tabelog.
The link takes you directly to Itadaki's booking form. You don't need to navigate the Japanese interface — the reservation form is accessible in English.

Step 2: Select your preferred date and time.
Itadaki is open Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 11:00 to 15:00 (last order at 14:30). On public holidays, hours extend from 09:00 to 15:00. Wednesday through Friday are closed. Because Para Games events run across multiple days, check your games schedule first and pick a lunch slot that fits naturally — ideally on a day when you're already in the Osu or Sakae area.

Step 3: Enter your party size and contact details.
For families with young children, Itadaki's sofa-style seating makes the restaurant particularly comfortable. Past guests have brought infants and settled easily into the wide sofa tables. There's a table for up to 5 people and another for 4 — well suited to most family configurations. Note that the restaurant is on the 2nd floor accessible by staircase; if you're bringing a stroller, staff may assist when available, though this cannot be guaranteed.

Step 4: Copy and paste this phrase into the notes/requests field:
鳳来牛希望
This tells the kitchen that your party is requesting Horai Wagyu. Without this note, your reservation secures a seat but does not guarantee Horai Wagyu availability. This is the single most important step — don't skip it.

Step 5: Confirm and save your reservation details.
You'll receive a confirmation. Keep it on your phone for easy reference when you arrive.

✓ Key Takeaways

• Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls per day — during Para Games, walk-in availability on busy days cannot be relied upon
• Reservations via Tabelog can be made in English; paste 鳳来牛希望 in the notes field to request Horai Wagyu specifically
• Itadaki is open Sat, Sun, Mon, and Tue only — confirm your visit date against the official monthly calendar on Instagram before booking

If You Can't Reserve: The Walk-In Strategy That Still Works

Sometimes travel doesn't allow for advance planning. Flights change, itineraries shift, and spontaneous decisions are part of what makes a Japan trip feel alive. If you find yourself in Osu without a reservation, here's how to give yourself the best chance.

Arrive at 11:00 sharp when the doors open. This is the most reliable walk-in strategy for Horai Wagyu. Guests who arrive at opening have the highest chance of securing one of the 10 daily bowls — before the midday rush from neighboring sightseeing areas fills the queue.

If Horai Wagyu has sold out by the time you arrive, Mikawa Beef Rare Gyudon is always available and is prepared using the exact same proprietary two-stage cooking technique. Mikawa Beef comes from Aichi's Mikawa region, raised on okara feed with careful gut management — it's a completely different expression of Aichi wagyu, and one that many guests find just as memorable. The Fumoto (standard size, 100g beef, ¥1,800) is a well-suited choice for families with children trying wagyu for the first time.

Before you head out, check Itadaki's official Instagram account for the monthly business calendar. Irregular closures do occasionally apply, and confirming the schedule in advance — even just the night before — saves a wasted journey.

"The lunch was the highlight of my Nagoya trip — I'm telling all my friends about it."

— A guest who visited Itadaki during their Nagoya stay

That kind of reaction isn't unusual. When guests ask Goto what made him create this concept, he points back to the moment during the pandemic when he watched small Aichi farmers — the very people who raised these extraordinary ingredients — struggle to find buyers. Itadaki was his answer: a restaurant that showcases what Aichi produces, honestly and without exaggeration. The name itself comes from itadakimasu — the Japanese expression of gratitude before a meal. For families visiting from abroad, that spirit tends to come through in the experience.

If you'd like to read about how other families have navigated a Nagoya lunch around event schedules, this account of a family's rare wagyu discovery during the Para Games offers a first-hand perspective worth reading before you plan your visit.

Getting to Itadaki from Para Games Venues

Itadaki is located on the 2nd floor at 4-1-20 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya — a 4-minute walk from Yabacho Station Exit 4 on the Meijo Subway Line. The Meijo Line connects directly to many of Nagoya's central hubs, making it straightforward to reach from most Para Games venues without needing a taxi or transfer to JR lines.

From Nagoya Station, the journey takes approximately 10 minutes: take the Higashiyama Line to Sakae, transfer to the Meijo Line, and alight at Yabacho. Sakae Station and Kamimaezu Station are also within walking distance if you happen to be coming from that direction.

There is no dedicated parking at Itadaki, but multiple coin parking lots are available within a 1–3 minute walk in the Osu area. Public transportation is the recommended approach, particularly during event periods when city traffic is heavier than usual.

If your family has extra time in Osu after lunch, Hisaya-odori Garden Flarie — a free-admission urban garden just 3 minutes from Yabacho Station — makes for a relaxed post-meal stroll. Osu Kannon Temple is a 5-minute walk in the other direction. Both are worth the short detour, especially for families with children who've been sitting through competition sessions all morning.

For those who've already read about what to know about dining in Nagoya during the Aichi Para Games, this reservation guide serves as the practical follow-through — the specific steps that turn intention into an actual seat at the table.

One Bowl, One Story Worth Bringing Home

Masayuki Goto spent 18 years in Nagoya's food and beverage world before he opened Itadaki in April 2022. He's featured on 8 major Japanese TV programs — including NHK — as the originator of the Rare Wagyu Gyudon concept. But what drives him isn't recognition. It's the idea that a single bowl of food, prepared with genuine care and sourced from people he knows personally, can give a visitor something they didn't expect to find in Nagoya.

For Para Games families passing through the city, that unexpected discovery is often what they remember most. Not the competition scoreboard. Not the transit map. The bowl of wagyu they almost didn't reserve.

Don't leave it to chance. The steps above take less than five minutes. The meal itself takes about an hour. And if the guests who've sat at those sofa tables are any guide, the story lasts considerably longer than either.

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