IG Arena Judo Between Matches: Yabacho Station Premium Beef Bowl

A guest recently messaged me through Instagram after returning home from Nagoya. He'd come specifically for judo at IG Arena during the Asian Games — two packed match days, a tight itinerary, and one free lunch window between sessions. He'd found Itadaki online beforehand and had one question that was clearly keeping him up at night: "Will the Horai Wagyu sell out before I get there?"

I get this question more than almost any other. And honestly, it's the right question to ask — especially when you've traveled this far and your free time is measured in hours, not days.

So let me answer it properly, with the same honesty I try to bring to everything we do here at Itadaki.

Who This Is For

• ✅ Visitors attending judo, basketball, or other events at IG Arena during the 2026 Asian Games with limited time between matches
• ✅ Travelers who want to experience Horai Wagyu — but are worried it will sell out before they arrive
• ✅ First-time users of Tabelog who aren't sure how the reservation process works in English
• ✅ Anyone planning a lunch stop near Yabacho Station with no room for error in their schedule
• ✅ Visitors who've heard about rare wagyu gyudon and want to understand what to order and how to enjoy it

Why Horai Wagyu Sells Out — and Why That's Not a Marketing Line

Let me be straightforward about something: the 10-bowl daily limit on Horai Wagyu isn't a tactic to create buzz. It's a direct consequence of how rare this beef actually is.

Horai Wagyu is produced in Okumikawa, deep in Aichi Prefecture's mountains, by just 3 farms raising a combined total of around 300 heads per year. To put that in perspective — there are roughly 500,000 wagyu cattle raised annually across Japan. Horai Wagyu accounts for approximately 300 of those. The cattle are fed on sake lees from "Horaisen Sora," a premium local sake, which gives the meat a flavor profile that's genuinely unlike anything most wagyu lovers have encountered before: clean, with delicate marbling and a depth that builds as you eat.

Because we source directly from those farms and receive only a limited quantity each week, we can only offer 10 bowls per day. During peak Asian Games lunch hours — when match schedules create a rush of hungry visitors arriving between 11:30 and 13:00 — those 10 bowls go faster than you'd expect.

The guest who messaged me? He'd arrived at 12:15 on a walk-in. The Horai Wagyu was gone. He ordered Mikawa Beef Rare Gyudon instead and wrote to tell me it was still one of the best meals of his trip — but he came back the next day and reserved properly. That second visit, he said, was on another level entirely.

The Reservation Process: Simpler Than You Think

Here's where many international visitors hesitate. Tabelog is Japan's most widely used restaurant reservation platform, but it's not well known outside Japan — and the name alone can feel like a barrier if you've never used it before.

The good news: reservations at Itadaki can be completed entirely in English through Tabelog Online. You don't need to speak Japanese. You don't need to call. You navigate to our Tabelog page, select your date and time, fill in your details in English, and confirm.

There is one important step that's easy to miss. Horai Wagyu is not a separate menu item you can select during booking — it needs to be requested in the reservation notes field. Please copy and paste the following Japanese phrase exactly as written:

鳳来牛希望

That phrase means "I would like Horai Wagyu" in Japanese, and our team will see it immediately when your reservation comes through. You don't need to explain anything else — that phrase does the work.

If you're staying near Yabacho Station or coming directly from IG Arena, the walk to Itadaki takes about 4 minutes from Exit 4 of Yabacho Station on the Meijo Subway Line. For those coming straight from the arena, the journey is quick and entirely manageable between match sessions. You can also find more detailed access information and what to expect during your Nagoya rare wagyu lunch near Yabacho Station if you want to plan your route in advance.

✓ Key Takeaways

• Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls per day — not by design, but because fewer than 300 of these cattle exist in Japan annually. It genuinely sells out during busy Asian Games lunch hours.
• Tabelog Online reservations can be completed in English. Copy and paste 鳳来牛希望 into the notes field to request your Horai Wagyu.
• If a reservation isn't possible, arriving right at 11:00 opening gives you the best walk-in chance — and Mikawa Beef Rare Gyudon is always available as a genuinely exceptional alternative.

What to Expect When You Arrive

One thing that surprises many of our international visitors — especially those used to navigating Japan with limited Japanese — is how comfortable the experience feels from the moment they walk in.

Menus are available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. And the menu doesn't just list the dishes — it walks you through a five-step guide to enjoying the Rare Wagyu Gyudon in the way it was intended. Separate the Nagoya Cochin egg first. Taste the wagyu on its own before mixing anything. Add condiments gradually to discover how the flavor changes.

"The English menu with clear serving instructions made the experience stress-free."

— Guest review

That review captures something I genuinely care about. There's nothing worse than sitting in front of a beautiful dish and not being sure what to do with it. The five-step guide exists precisely so that you can focus on the experience, not on second-guessing yourself.

The 18 seats are arranged to suit a variety of group sizes — counter seating for solo visitors, sofa tables for families and groups. If you're coming with fellow judo fans or a small travel group, the sofa table for five is particularly comfortable for a post-match lunch that doesn't feel rushed.

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

Schedules don't always cooperate. If you're working around match times and can't commit to a reservation slot in advance, here's the honest guidance I give every visitor who asks:

Arrive at 11:00, right at opening. Horai Wagyu availability is highest in the first 60 minutes of service. By 12:30, during Asian Games season, it's frequently sold out.

If Horai Wagyu is gone when you arrive, Mikawa Beef Rare Gyudon is always available. This is Aichi's Mikawa region beef — raised on a specialized okara feed with lactic acid bacteria gut management, prepared using the same proprietary two-stage cooking technique that gives both dishes their signature rare-style texture. Many guests who arrived expecting Horai Wagyu and pivoted to Mikawa Beef have told me it was a revelation in its own right. The Fumoto size (100g beef, 200g rice, ¥1,800) is a good starting point if you're trying it for the first time.

A quick note on the cooking technique, since I know some visitors have questions about food safety when they hear "rare wagyu": our two-stage method heats the beef to over 70°C at the core, fully meeting Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare standards. The rare texture is the result of precise temperature control, not of undercooking. You're safe, and the experience is exactly what it promises. If you want to understand more about how this works and what makes it genuinely different from other wagyu experiences in Nagoya, this piece on Nagoya's exclusive Horai Wagyu experience goes deeper into the story behind the 10-bowl daily limit.

A Practical Note on Timing Around IG Arena

IG Arena — the new arena designed by Kengo Kuma that opened in July 2025 — is a venue I have a personal connection to, beyond just being nearby. As someone who's followed basketball for years and watched the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins there, seeing it become a centerpiece of the 2026 Asian Games is genuinely exciting. Judo is one of those sports where the match schedule creates natural breaks that are perfect for a focused, unhurried lunch.

From IG Arena, the Meijo Subway Line runs directly to Yabacho in a few stops. Itadaki is open Tuesday through Monday (excluding Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), 11:00–15:00, with last order at 14:30. On public holidays, we open at 9:00. Please check our Asian Games lunch guide for what to eat between matches in Nagoya if you want a broader picture of timing and options.

One important reminder: our business schedule can vary. Before your visit, please check the monthly calendar on our official Instagram to confirm we're open on your specific date — especially during a busy multi-week event like the Asian Games, where irregular closures are possible.

The name Itadaki comes from "itadakimasu" — the expression of gratitude Japanese people say before every meal. It's a word that acknowledges the farmers, the land, and the work behind what's in front of you. When you sit down with a bowl of Horai Wagyu — one of only 10 that day — that feeling of gratitude makes a bit more sense.

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