{"id":826,"date":"2026-09-15T13:46:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/15\/nagoya-tokyu-hotel-asian-games-lunch\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T13:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:47:00","slug":"nagoya-tokyu-hotel-asian-games-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/15\/nagoya-tokyu-hotel-asian-games-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Near Nagoya Tokyu Hotel: Premium Lunch After Watching the Asian Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Here's a number that surprises most first-time visitors to Nagoya: of the roughly 500,000 wagyu cattle raised across Japan each year, only <strong>300 heads<\/strong> qualify as Horai Wagyu \u2014 the ultra-rare breed produced exclusively in Okumikawa, Aichi Prefecture. That's 0.06% of Japan's entire wagyu population. And yet, most visitors to Nagoya have never heard of it, let alone tasted it.<\/p>\n<p>During the Asian Games 2026, thousands of spectators, athletes' families, and curious travelers are filling Nagoya's hotels right now. If you're staying near Nagoya Tokyu Hotel \u2014 or anywhere in the city center \u2014 you may be wondering: <em>where do I go for a lunch that actually feels like Nagoya?<\/em> Not a hotel buffet. Not a chain restaurant. Something that tells you a story about this city and its land.<\/p>\n<p>The short answer is Itadaki, the originator of Rare Wagyu Gyudon, located in the Osu district. But there's a real question that stops many visitors before they ever arrive: <em>the Osu district looks like a maze on the map. How do I actually get there without getting lost?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article is specifically about that journey \u2014 before and after \u2014 so you arrive confident, not confused.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who This Is For<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Visitors staying at Nagoya Tokyu Hotel or nearby Sakae-area hotels during the Asian Games 2026<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Anyone who has tried to navigate Osu district on Google Maps and felt overwhelmed by the small streets<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Travelers who want a memorable Nagoya lunch but aren't sure how to find a restaurant that isn't on the tourist circuit<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Asian Games spectators looking for a purposeful lunch plan between events \u2014 not just a random restaurant<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 First-time visitors to Nagoya who want clear, step-by-step directions they can follow without knowing Japanese<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_4452.jpg\" alt=\"Near Nagoya Tokyu Hotel: Premium Lunch After Watching the Asian Games | Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Before: \"Osu Looked Impossible to Navigate\"<\/h2>\n<p>Let's be honest about something. Osu is one of the most vibrant districts in all of Central Japan \u2014 over 1,200 shops, 400 years of history, Osu Kannon Temple, a subculture scene unlike anywhere else in the country. But from above, on Google Maps, it looks like someone dropped a plate of spaghetti and called it a street plan.<\/p>\n<p>For many visitors staying in Nagoya's Sakae or Fushimi areas during the Asian Games, Osu is genuinely on the radar \u2014 it's only 10 to 15 minutes away. But the combination of narrow covered shopping arcades, Japanese-language signage, and the fact that Itadaki itself is located on the <strong>2nd floor<\/strong> (easy to walk right past at street level) means that a meaningful number of guests arrive at the general area\u2026 and then give up. They walk the wrong arcade, circle back, check Maps again, and eventually settle for something they can see immediately from the sidewalk.<\/p>\n<p>We understand this completely. Founder Masayuki Goto has watched guests come through the door slightly flustered \u2014 relieved but a little disoriented. That moment of relief, when they finally climb the stairs and see the warm interior, is something the team at Itadaki takes seriously. The goal is to make that moment happen for every visitor, not just the persistent ones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--soft\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You now know the route from Yabacho Exit 4 \u2014 but Itadaki's schedule during the Asian Games period changes month by month, and irregular closures do apply. The monthly business calendar is confirmed on our official Instagram, so you can check the exact dates before you plan your lunch. One quick look saves you the trip on a closed day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sag-cta__action\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/itadaki_gyudon.08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Check the September Business Calendar on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>After: A 10-Minute Journey That Changes Your Lunch Entirely<\/h2>\n<p>Here is the route, broken into steps you can follow without a single word of Japanese.<\/p>\n<p><strong>From Nagoya Tokyu Hotel \/ Sakae area:<\/strong><br \/>\nYou are already incredibly close. Nagoya Tokyu Hotel sits in the heart of Sakae, which is served by both the Higashiyama Line and the Meijo Line. Take the Meijo Line (the circular subway line \u2014 easy to identify on the map) just <strong>one stop<\/strong> south to <strong>Yabacho Station<\/strong>. From Exit 4, Itadaki is a <strong>4-minute walk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>From Nagoya Station:<\/strong><br \/>\nTake the Higashiyama Line east to Sakae Station (approximately 5 minutes), then transfer to the Meijo Line and ride one stop to Yabacho. Total journey: approximately 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>On foot from Yabacho Exit 4:<\/strong><br \/>\nWalk in the direction of Osu Kannon Temple \u2014 you'll pass the entrance to the main Osu Shopping Street arcade. Before you enter the covered shopping street, look for a signboard at street level that reads <strong>\u300c\u5143\u7956\u30ec\u30a2\u725b\u4e3c \u9802\u300d<\/strong> (pronounced: <em>Ganso Rea Gyudon Itadaki<\/em>). That's your landmark. Take the staircase up to the 2nd floor, and you've arrived.<\/p>\n<p>A direct Google Maps link is available on <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/english\/\">Itadaki's official English page<\/a>, which removes the guesswork entirely. We strongly recommend opening it before you leave your hotel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2713 Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From Nagoya Tokyu Hotel or the Sakae area, Itadaki is just one subway stop away \u2014 Yabacho Station (Meijo Line), Exit 4, 4-minute walk.<\/li>\n<li>The street-level sign reads \u300c\u5143\u7956\u30ec\u30a2\u725b\u4e3c \u9802\u300d \u2014 look for it before entering the Osu Shopping Street arcade, then take the stairs up to the 2nd floor.<\/li>\n<li>A Google Maps direct link is available on Itadaki's official English page \u2014 save it to your phone before you head out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--mid\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">The Horai Wagyu version \u2014 all 10 bowls of it \u2014 tends to go early on busy Asian Games days when the city is full of visitors following similar lunch plans. Reserving via Tabelog locks in your bowl before you even leave the venue. The process takes under two minutes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sag-cta__action\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yoyaku.tabelog.com\/yoyaku\/net_booking_form\/index?rcd=23081531\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reserve Your Rare Wagyu Bowl via Tabelog<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What Waits at the Top of Those Stairs<\/h2>\n<p>Once you're seated at Itadaki, the disorientation of Osu's streets dissolves quickly. The restaurant has 18 seats in total \u2014 counter seats ideal for solo visitors, and comfortable sofa-style tables for pairs, families, and small groups. The atmosphere is calm and unhurried, a deliberate contrast to the shopping street energy below.<\/p>\n<p>Itadaki's signature dish is the Rare Wagyu Gyudon, prepared using a proprietary two-stage cooking technique that brings the beef to over 70\u00b0C at its core \u2014 fully meeting Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare food safety standards \u2014 while delivering a tender, rare-style texture that conventional gyudon simply cannot offer. The Horai Wagyu version is limited to just 10 bowls per day, sourced directly from farms in Okumikawa, Aichi Prefecture.<\/p>\n<p>Every single ingredient on the table comes from Aichi Prefecture: the rice, the miso soup, the pickles, the shiso leaves, the Nagoya Cochin egg. Goto's vision \u2014 born during the pandemic, when he saw small Aichi farmers struggling with unsold produce \u2014 was to build a restaurant around a genuinely local supply chain. That vision is what you taste in every bowl.<\/p>\n<p>The menu is available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean, and the team's five-step guide walks you through the experience at your own pace. You don't need to know Japanese to understand what you're eating or how to enjoy it.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"The lunch was the highlight of my Nagoya trip \u2014 I'm telling all my friends about it.\"<\/p>\n<p><cite>\u2014 A visitor to Itadaki during their Nagoya stay<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That kind of reaction isn't accidental. It reflects what happens when a 10-minute journey leads somewhere genuinely worth finding.<\/p>\n<h2>Practical Notes for Asian Games Visitors<\/h2>\n<p>If you're attending events at venues around Nagoya during the Asian Games 2026, a few things are worth knowing as you plan your lunch.<\/p>\n<p>Itadaki is open <strong>Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday<\/strong>, from 11:00 to 15:00 (last order at 14:30). On public holidays, opening is at 09:00. September 15, 2026 is a Tuesday \u2014 a regular business day. That said, irregular closures do sometimes apply, and the monthly schedule is confirmed each month on Itadaki's official Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>For the Horai Wagyu version of the gyudon \u2014 limited to 10 bowls daily \u2014 <strong>reservation via Tabelog is strongly recommended<\/strong>, especially during peak event periods when foot traffic in Nagoya increases significantly. The Mikawa Beef version is always available and equally prepared with the same two-stage cooking method and the same all-Aichi ingredients.<\/p>\n<p>If you'd like to explore more about how Itadaki fits into a broader Nagoya lunch plan during the Games, <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=585\">this complete guide to Nagoya lunch during Asian Games 2026<\/a> covers a wider range of options and logistics. And if you're weighing venue-area eating against city-center lunch spots, <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=591\">this comparison of venue lunch vs city center Nagoya during Asian Games 2026<\/a> lays out the practical trade-offs clearly.<\/p>\n<h2>From Lost to Seated: The Before-and-After in Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Before: Osu district on a map \u2014 winding arcades, Japanese signage, a 2nd-floor restaurant that's easy to miss, and the quiet worry that you'll spend your lunch hour walking in circles.<\/p>\n<p>After: One subway stop from Sakae, a 4-minute walk from Exit 4, a street-level sign that confirms you're in the right place, and a staircase that leads you to one of the most distinctive lunches available in Nagoya during the Asian Games.<\/p>\n<p>The navigation question has a clear answer. The harder part \u2014 deciding to make the trip \u2014 is entirely yours. But if you're the kind of traveler who values a meal with a story behind it, a restaurant that exists because a founder believed Aichi's farmers and ingredients deserved a stage, then the 10 minutes from your hotel is well spent.<\/p>\n<p>For our complete menu, access details, and store information, visit our official page at <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/english\/\">https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/english\/<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--close\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You've read the route, you know what's waiting at the top of those stairs, and you know the 10-bowl daily limit is real \u2014 not a marketing phrase. The next step is straightforward: secure your seat before the day fills up. Tabelog reservations are available online, and the Horai Wagyu bowls go to whoever books first.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sag-cta__action\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yoyaku.tabelog.com\/yoyaku\/net_booking_form\/index?rcd=23081531\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reserve Your Rare Wagyu Gyudon Experience<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"LocalBusiness\",\"name\":\"Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\",\"address\":\"4-1-20 Osu 2F, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 460-0011, Japan\",\"areaServed\":\"Itadaki serves foreign visitors from around the world who are traveling in the Nagoya area. Our primary customer base includes:\\n\\nGeographic reach:\\n- Immediate area: Osu district and Sakae district (within 10-minute walking distance)\\n- Nagoya city center: Nagoya Station, Fushimi, Kanayama, and other central districts (within 15-minute subway ride)\\n- Aichi Prefecture: Meitetsu Line and JR line commuters from Toyohashi, Toyota, Ichinomiya, and other Aichi cities\\n- Central Japan region: Travelers passing through Nagoya from Gifu, Shizuoka, Mie, and Nagano prefectures\\n- International travelers: All foreign visitors staying in Nagoya as part of their Japan itinerary\\n\\nPeak traveler seasons:\\n- Cherry blossom season (late March to early April)\\n- Golden Week (late April to early May)\\n- Summer festival season (July-August, including World Cosplay Summit)\\n- Autumn foliage season (November)\\n- 2026 Asian Games and Para Games (September-October 2026)\",\"description\":\"Rare Wagyu Gyudon (Horai Wagyu \u2014 limited to 10 bowls daily):\\n- Shinkoccho (Standard): 100g beef, 200g rice, \u00a52,700\\n- Cho-ten (Medium): 150g beef, 250g rice, \u00a53,200\\n- Zettcho (Large): 200g beef, 300g rice, \u00a53,600\\n\\nRare Wagyu Gyudon (Mikawa Beef \u2014 always available):\\n- Fumoto (Standard): 100g beef, 200g rice, \u00a51,800\\n- Oka (Medium): 150g beef, 250g rice, \u00a52,300\\n- Daichi (Large): 200g beef, 300g rice, \u00a52,700\\n\\nSide Dishes:\\n- Teppen (Premium Horai Wagyu Beef Plate): 50g, \u00a5800 \u2014 Same wagyu with different cutting and searing technique, delivering a distinct taste from the gyudon\\n- Piman no Nikuzume (Evolved Stuffed Green Pepper): 2 pieces, \u00a5700 \u2014 A popular dish originally from Tokyo's Toranomon Yokocho\\n\\nOptions:\\n- Extra rice: +\u00a5200\\n- Change to Super Mochi Barley Rice (from Toyohashi): +\u00a5200\\n- Super Mochi Barley Rice extra size: +\u00a5400\\n- Remove Nagoya Cochin egg: -\u00a5150\\n- Extra Nagoya Cochin egg: +\u00a5150\\n- Extra pickled radish (Atsumi Ich\u014d-zuke): +\u00a5150\\n- Extra shiso leaves (Aikei No.1): +\u00a5150\\n\\nBeverages (all Aichi\/Nagoya specialties):\\n- Kinshachi Beer Pilsner (330ml bottle): \u00a5700 \u2014 Nagoya craft beer pioneer\\n- Coffee Shochu Oolong Tea Mix: \u00a5700 \u2014 MAX'S BAR's signature drink since 2008\\n- Chita Highball: \u00a5700 \u2014 Aichi's Chita Distillery whisky\\n- Nagoya Cider: \u00a5700 \u2014 Local Nagoya craft cider\\n- Chita & Nagoya Cider with Lemon: \u00a51,000 \u2014 House specialty mix\\n- Chita \\\"Naka\\\" Refill: \u00a5500 \u2014 Add more Chita whisky to your remaining cider\"}<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here's a number that surprises most first-time visitors to Nagoya: of the roughly 500,000 wagyu cattle raised across Japan each year, only 300 heads qualify as Horai Wagyu \u2014 the ultra-rare breed produced exclusively in Okumikawa, Aichi Prefecture. That's 0.06% of Japan's entire wagyu population. And yet, most visitors to Nagoya have never heard of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sns_share_botton_hide":"","vkExUnit_sns_title":"","_vk_print_noindex":"","sitemap_hide":"","_veu_custom_css":"","veu_display_promotion_alert":"","vkexunit_cta_each_option":"","_lightning_design_setting":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nagoya-food"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=826"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":827,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826\/revisions\/827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}