{"id":846,"date":"2026-09-16T15:52:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:52:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/16\/ig-arena-nagoya-where-to-eat\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T15:52:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T06:52:05","slug":"ig-arena-nagoya-where-to-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/16\/ig-arena-nagoya-where-to-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"IG Arena Judo &#038; Basketball: Where to Eat in Nagoya Before or After the Games"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>September in Nagoya hits differently in 2026. The city that gave the world Oda Nobunaga, Toyota, and miso katsu is now hosting the Asian Games \u2014 and IG Arena, the stunning new venue designed by Kengo Kuma, is the beating heart of it all. Judo, basketball, the electric atmosphere of 45 nations competing under one roof. It's the kind of day that deserves more than a vending machine lunch between sessions.<\/p>\n<p>But here's the thing most visitors figure out only after they've already been to the arena: the real transformation of a games day in Nagoya doesn't happen inside the arena. It happens in the two or three hours <em>around<\/em> the events \u2014 and what you choose to eat in that window either makes the whole trip memorable or just fills time.<\/p>\n<p>This article is about closing that gap. Specifically, it's for anyone who wants the experience of September 2026 in Nagoya to be more than a sports memory \u2014 and who wants one meal that earns its own chapter in the story of their Japan trip.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who This Is For<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Asian Games spectators looking for a lunch that matches the occasion \u2014 not just something near the venue<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Judo and basketball fans with a few hours before or after their session at IG Arena who want to explore Nagoya's food scene<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Wagyu enthusiasts who have already tried the well-known brands and are ready to discover something rarer<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Travelers who believe a once-in-a-lifetime trip deserves at least one once-in-a-lifetime meal<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Visitors who plan to share the experience \u2014 through stories, photos, or simply a recommendation to every friend planning a Japan trip after them<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_2069.jpg\" alt=\"IG Arena Judo &amp; Basketball: Where to Eat in Nagoya Before or After the Games | Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Before the Games: A Morning Without a Plan<\/h2>\n<p>Picture the before. You've arrived in Nagoya the previous evening, checked into your hotel near Sakae or Nagoya Station, and you have a judo session starting at 14:00 at IG Arena. The morning is yours. You've seen the photos of Osu Kannon Temple on your phone, you know Osu Shopping Street is supposed to be worth an hour, but you're not sure whether to just grab something quick near the arena or actually make the morning count.<\/p>\n<p>This is the moment most visitors default to convenience \u2014 a combini onigiri, a chain coffee, something forgettable. And the day technically works. But it doesn't <em>land<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The shift happens when you choose differently. When you decide that the morning before the judo \u2014 or the window after the basketball final \u2014 is the right frame for the meal you've been meaning to have since you started planning this Japan trip.<\/p>\n<p>Osu district is a 4-minute walk from Yabacho Station on the Meijo Subway Line. IG Arena sits on the same Meijo Line. That single transit fact quietly makes Osu the most natural pre-game or post-game destination in Nagoya for Asian Games visitors \u2014 and one that most people overlook entirely because they're focused on the arena itself.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--soft\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You're planning a games day at IG Arena and you want the hours around it to count \u2014 not just the hours inside. Itadaki's monthly business calendar on Instagram shows exactly which days are open during the Asian Games period, so you can line up the meal before you finalize your event schedule. A quick check takes under a minute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sag-cta__action\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/itadaki_gyudon.08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Check Itadaki's September Schedule on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Meal That Changed the Day<\/h2>\n<p>On the second floor of a building on Osu's main stretch, Itadaki opened in April 2022 with a question that had never been seriously asked before: why does Japan have premium versions of katsudon, oyakodon, and kaisendon \u2014 but not gyudon?<\/p>\n<p>Masayuki Goto, who spent 18 years building his understanding of Aichi's food culture through MAX'S BAR and direct relationships with local farms, decided to answer that question himself. The result was the world's first Rare Wagyu Gyudon \u2014 a culinary concept invented at this address, using wagyu so scarce that only 300 heads are produced annually across just 3 farms in all of Japan.<\/p>\n<p>That beef is Horai Wagyu, raised in the mountains of Okumikawa and fed on the sake lees of Horaisen Sora, one of Aichi's most celebrated premium sakes. The flavor it produces \u2014 a balance of light marbling and clean lean meat that is almost impossible to find in other wagyu \u2014 is unlike anything available in Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka. It is genuinely, verifiably rare: 300 heads per year, out of an estimated 500,000 wagyu raised annually across Japan.<\/p>\n<p>Goto's proprietary two-stage cooking technique brings the beef to over 70\u00b0C at the core \u2014 fully meeting Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare food safety standards \u2014 while preserving the silky, rare-style texture that makes the dish extraordinary. It is a technical achievement that no other gyudon restaurant in Japan offers.<\/p>\n<p>Every ingredient in the bowl is sourced from Aichi Prefecture: the Aichi no Kaori rice, the white soy sauce from Hekinan City that forms the base of the signature magic sauce, the Nagoya Cochin egg from Yamada Poultry Farm, the Atsumi Ich\u014d-zuke pickles from the Atsumi Peninsula, and the shiso leaves grown in Toyohashi. A bowl of Itadaki's Rare Wagyu Gyudon is, in the most literal sense, a complete portrait of Aichi on a single plate.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"I traveled to Nagoya specifically to eat here \u2014 it was 100% worth it.\"<\/p>\n<p><cite>Guest review<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That review says something important. Not \"it was a good lunch near the sights.\" The guest came <em>to Nagoya<\/em> for this meal. That's the threshold Itadaki clears \u2014 from sightseeing addition to destination in itself.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2713 Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Osu district is a 4-minute walk from Yabacho Station (Meijo Line) \u2014 the same subway line that serves IG Arena \u2014 making it the most naturally placed pre- or post-game lunch destination for Asian Games visitors.<\/li>\n<li>Itadaki invented the Rare Wagyu Gyudon category in 2022. The concept, the technique, and the ingredients (including Horai Wagyu, just 300 heads\/year) exist only here.<\/li>\n<li>The two-stage cooking method fully satisfies Japan's food safety standards while delivering the rare-style texture \u2014 there is no compromise between safety and experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--mid\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls per day \u2014 and September's Asian Games crowd means those bowls will go earlier than usual. A Tabelog reservation locks in your bowl before the day begins, so the only thing left to decide is whether you go before or after the arena. No payment is required at the reservation stage.<\/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 via Tabelog<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>After the Games: The Meal That Seals the Day<\/h2>\n<p>Now picture the after. The judo finals have ended. Or the basketball quarterfinal buzzer has just sounded and you're filing out of IG Arena into the Nagoya afternoon. The energy is still in your chest. You have three hours before your evening plans and you want to extend the feeling \u2014 not wind it down with something forgettable.<\/p>\n<p>The Meijo Line from IG Arena drops you at Yabacho in minutes. From Exit 4, Itadaki is a 4-minute walk. Lunch service runs until 15:00 (last order at 14:30), which means post-morning-session visitors and those attending early afternoon events can still make it \u2014 but timing matters, and Horai Wagyu is limited to just 10 bowls per day.<\/p>\n<p>Goto designed Itadaki's five-step eating guide specifically so that first-time visitors could fully experience the dish rather than just consume it. You begin with the Nagoya Cochin egg \u2014 the white folded into the miso soup, the golden yolk placed atop the beef. You taste the wagyu first in its purest form, appreciating the rare texture and Horai Wagyu's distinctive clean flavor. Then the yolk is mixed in, creating a rich, silky layer. Then the condiments \u2014 pickled ginger from Inazawa, dried seaweed from Mikawa Bay, chirimen jako from Minamichita, Itadaki's original 8-spice blend. Finally, a touch of wasabi for a clean finish.<\/p>\n<p>It takes longer than you expect. That's the point. The meal is structured to slow you down \u2014 to turn a lunch into a conversation with where you are and what you're tasting.<\/p>\n<p>For those planning lunch around the Asian Games schedule, the guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=837\">where to eat near Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games venues<\/a> covers the broader logistics. And if you're navigating the full week of events, <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=585\">the complete guide to Nagoya lunch during Asian Games 2026<\/a> is worth reading before you finalize your itinerary.<\/p>\n<h2>The Practical Side: What You Need to Know Before You Go<\/h2>\n<p>Itadaki operates on a focused schedule: open Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 11:00 to 15:00, with the last order at 14:30. On public holidays, the doors open at 09:00. The restaurant is closed Wednesday through Friday. During September's Asian Games period, irregular closures are possible \u2014 the monthly business calendar is posted on Itadaki's official Instagram, and checking it before you visit is strongly recommended.<\/p>\n<p>Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls per day and can sell out during peak hours. Reservation via Tabelog is the most reliable way to secure your bowl \u2014 walk-ins are welcome for Mikawa Beef gyudon, which is always available, but Horai Wagyu cannot be held without a reservation.<\/p>\n<p>The restaurant has 18 seats, all sofa-style \u2014 unusually comfortable for a lunch specialty restaurant, and well suited for travelers who want to linger rather than rush. Printed menus are available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. Itadaki has been featured on 8 major Japanese TV programs, including NHK, and is recognized as the originator of the Rare Wagyu Gyudon culinary concept.<\/p>\n<p>Access: 4-minute walk from Yabacho Station Exit 4 (Meijo Subway Line). From IG Arena, take the Meijo Line to Yabacho \u2014 the journey is short and direct. No parking is available at the restaurant, but coin parking lots are within a 1\u20133 minute walk in the surrounding Osu area.<\/p>\n<h2>The Story You'll Carry Home<\/h2>\n<p>A games day in Nagoya in September 2026 is already a story \u2014 judo, basketball, Kengo Kuma's arena, 45 nations. But the meals we remember from trips rarely come from the grandest settings. They come from the moments where something genuinely unexpected happens on the plate, where the food tells you something about the place that the sightseeing alone couldn't.<\/p>\n<p>That's what Itadaki was built to deliver. Not a restaurant attached to an event. Not a convenient option near the venue. A culinary concept invented in Osu, Nagoya, using ingredients that don't exist anywhere else in this combination, prepared with a technique developed over years of craft and food safety expertise.<\/p>\n<p>The name Itadaki comes from <em>itadakimasu<\/em> \u2014 the expression of gratitude Japanese people speak before every meal. Respect for the farmers, the land, the craft. That philosophy shapes everything from the sourcing of Horai Wagyu to the way the five-step guide walks you through the bowl.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you come before the judo finals or after the basketball semifinal, the experience is the same: a lunch that gives the day a second story to tell.<\/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 seen why this lunch works as the anchor of an IG Arena games day \u2014 the Meijo Line connection, the 10-bowl daily limit on Horai Wagyu, the five-step experience that turns a meal into a memory. The next step is securing your seat before September's schedule fills. Reserve directly through Tabelog \u2014 it takes about 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\">Secure Your Bowl: Reserve the Rare Wagyu Gyudon<\/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>September in Nagoya hits differently in 2026. The city that gave the world Oda Nobunaga, Toyota, and miso katsu is now hosting the Asian Games \u2014 and IG Arena, the stunning new venue designed by Kengo Kuma, is the beating heart of it all. Judo, basketball, the electric atmosphere of 45 nations competing under one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":845,"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":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-guide"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846","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=846"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":847,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/846\/revisions\/847"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}