{"id":879,"date":"2026-09-18T18:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/18\/horai-wagyu-reservation-asian-games-english-menu\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T18:03:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:03:03","slug":"horai-wagyu-reservation-asian-games-english-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/18\/horai-wagyu-reservation-asian-games-english-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reserve Horai Beef During Asian Games: Only 10 Bowls Daily"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Here's a number that surprised even me when I first heard it: roughly <strong>70% of international travelers to Japan<\/strong> say that language anxiety is the single biggest reason they end up eating at familiar chain restaurants instead of the local specialty spots they actually wanted to try. Seventy percent. That's not a small thing \u2014 that's most visitors choosing a safe, familiar experience over a once-in-a-lifetime one, simply because reading a Japanese menu felt too daunting.<\/p>\n<p>I'm Masayuki Goto, the founder of Itadaki in Osu, Nagoya. I've been in this industry for 18 years, and I've traveled internationally enough to know exactly what that anxiety feels like. You're standing outside a restaurant that looks incredible. The smells coming from inside are extraordinary. But the handwritten sign is entirely in Japanese, and you have no idea how to begin. So you walk on.<\/p>\n<p>I didn't want that to happen at Itadaki. Especially not during the Asian Games 2026 \u2014 when Nagoya is welcoming visitors from across Asia, and when our Horai Wagyu is limited to just 10 bowls per day. The last thing I want is for someone to miss that experience because they weren't sure they could navigate our menu.<\/p>\n<p>So let me walk you through exactly what happens when you arrive \u2014 in plain English.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who This Is For<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Visitors attending the Asian Games 2026 who want to try Horai Wagyu but are unsure about language barriers<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Travelers who have felt anxious about ordering at authentic Japanese restaurants without speaking Japanese<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Foodies researching how to secure one of the 10 daily Horai Wagyu bowls before they sell out<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Anyone wondering whether Itadaki's menu and staff are accessible to international guests<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Asian Games spectators planning their Nagoya food itinerary around the competition schedule<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_1700.jpg\" alt=\"How to Reserve Horai Beef During Asian Games: Only 10 Bowls Daily | Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>What I Noticed Traveling Abroad \u2014 And Why It Changed How I Built Itadaki<\/h2>\n<p>One of my great passions outside the restaurant is international travel. Not the tourist circuit kind \u2014 I mean the kind where you deliberately sit down in a local spot, point at something on the menu without fully knowing what it is, and trust that the experience will be worth it. I've done this in cities across Asia and beyond, discovering local flavors and understanding how different cultures shape what they eat and how they share it.<\/p>\n<p>Every single time I felt genuinely welcomed \u2014 even without a shared language \u2014 I remembered it for years. And every time I walked away from a restaurant because I didn't feel confident enough to enter, I still think about what I missed.<\/p>\n<p>That's what shaped how I designed Itadaki's approach to international guests. When we opened in April 2022, one of my non-negotiables was this: a visitor from Seoul, Hong Kong, or Sydney should be able to walk in, understand every dish, order confidently, and enjoy the full experience \u2014 without needing a single word of Japanese.<\/p>\n<p>We built the entire guest-facing communication system around that idea.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--soft\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You now know the menu is in English \u2014 but during the Asian Games period, Itadaki runs on a scheduled calendar and irregular closures do apply. Our monthly business schedule is published on Instagram before each month begins, so you can confirm your date before anything else. One quick check takes less than 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 Monthly Business Calendar on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The Multilingual Menu: What's Actually in It<\/h2>\n<p>Our printed menu is fully available in <strong>English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean<\/strong>. Not a partial translation \u2014 the complete menu, with every dish, every size, every option, and every price clearly listed in all three languages alongside Japanese.<\/p>\n<p>Each dish entry includes a photo, the ingredients, and the price. You can point directly at what you want. There's no ambiguity, no guesswork, no need to mime anything to our staff (though we genuinely don't mind if you do).<\/p>\n<p>But the part of our menu I'm most proud of is the <strong>\"How to Enjoy Rare Gyudon\" visual guide<\/strong> \u2014 a five-step illustrated walkthrough printed directly in the menu. It shows you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>How to separate the raw Nagoya Cochin egg \u2014 the white goes into your miso soup, the yolk sits atop the beef<\/li>\n<li>How to taste the wagyu first in its purest form, appreciating the texture and flavor of the Horai beef before anything else<\/li>\n<li>How to mix the golden yolk into the beef for a richer, silkier bite<\/li>\n<li>How to add the complimentary condiments \u2014 pickled ginger, dried nori, chirimen jako, and our original 8-spice blend \u2014 to discover new dimensions of flavor<\/li>\n<li>How to finish with wasabi for a clean, refreshing final note<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This matters because Rare Wagyu Gyudon isn't like other dishes. If you don't know the sequence, you might mix everything together immediately and miss the progression entirely. The guide exists so that your first encounter with this dish is the experience it's meant to be \u2014 not a guessing game.<\/p>\n<p>One guest put it simply after their visit: <em>\"The English menu with clear serving instructions made the experience stress-free.\"<\/em> That's exactly what we set out to achieve.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2713 Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Itadaki's full menu is printed in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean \u2014 including every dish, size, option, and price.<\/li>\n<li>A five-step visual guide in the menu shows you exactly how to enjoy the Rare Wagyu Gyudon \u2014 so the sequence unfolds as intended, even on your first visit.<\/li>\n<li>Translation apps work perfectly well in the restaurant if you want to ask something beyond the menu.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--mid\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">The five-step guide removes the guesswork from ordering \u2014 but with only 10 Horai Wagyu bowls available each day and the Asian Games drawing visitors to Osu, the dish sells out well before the last order at 14:30. Reserving your bowl in advance via Tabelog is the one step that guarantees your experience actually happens. The booking form is available in English.<\/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 Horai Wagyu Bowl via Tabelog<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>How to Reserve One of the 10 Daily Horai Wagyu Bowls \u2014 Step by Step<\/h2>\n<p>The language question and the reservation question are closely linked during the Asian Games period. With competition schedules filling mornings and afternoons, visitors are working to fit lunch into narrow windows \u2014 and the last thing you want is to arrive at Itadaki and find that all 10 Horai Wagyu bowls are already gone.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=823\">Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls every single day<\/a> \u2014 produced by only 3 farms in all of Japan, with just 300 heads raised annually. That scarcity isn't a marketing device; it's simply what the supply allows. During peak periods like the Asian Games, those 10 bowls often sell out before noon.<\/p>\n<p>Here's how to secure your bowl:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: Make your reservation via Tabelog Online.<\/strong><br \/>\nOur reservation system is available in English through Tabelog. You can select your date, preferred time (we're open 11:00\u201315:00, last order at 14:30), and number of guests. No Japanese required to navigate the booking process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2: Check our business calendar before you book.<\/strong><br \/>\nItadaki operates on a scheduled calendar: we're open Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, plus public holidays. During the Asian Games period in September and October 2026, irregular closures are possible. Our monthly schedule is published on our official Instagram \u2014 confirm your date there before reserving.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: Arrive with confidence \u2014 your menu is waiting.<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen you arrive, our team will seat you and hand you the multilingual menu. If you have allergen concerns \u2014 soy, wheat, egg (removable), or sesame from the complimentary chirimen \u2014 the menu and our staff can help you navigate. Translation apps are also easy to use at the table.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4: Order by pointing or showing your phone.<\/strong><br \/>\nIf there's ever a moment where you're unsure, pointing at the menu photo works perfectly. Our staff is used to welcoming international guests and has done so since day one.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"The English menu with clear serving instructions made the experience stress-free.\"<\/p>\n<p><cite>\u2014 A guest at Itadaki<\/cite>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>A Personal Note on Why This Matters Right Now<\/h2>\n<p>During the Asian Games 2026, Nagoya is hosting athletes, families, and spectators from across Asia and beyond. Many of them will be exploring Osu \u2014 the district where we've been operating since 2022 \u2014 for the first time. Some will walk past Itadaki on their way to Osu Kannon Temple or through the shopping street, and wonder what the restaurant on the 2nd floor is about.<\/p>\n<p>I want anyone who walks in to feel immediately at ease. That's why I'm a basketball fan who follows the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins \u2014 the team that plays at IG Arena, which is hosting basketball and judo at the Asian Games \u2014 and it's also why I care about how international guests experience Nagoya. Sports and food share something important: the best moments happen when you're fully present, not anxious about what comes next.<\/p>\n<p>The multilingual menu, the five-step guide, the welcoming team \u2014 all of it is designed so that by the time your bowl arrives, the only thing left to do is eat, appreciate, and remember.<\/p>\n<p>If you're mapping out your Nagoya itinerary around the Asian Games schedule, <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=864\">this Osu district food guide for Asian Games visitors<\/a> covers the neighborhood in more detail \u2014 including what's within walking distance of Itadaki and how to build a natural route through the area.<\/p>\n<p>And if you're weighing whether to visit at all, <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=594\">this piece on fitting Itadaki into an Asian Games week<\/a> walks through the logistics of timing a visit around a packed events schedule.<\/p>\n<h2>The Short Version, If You Need It<\/h2>\n<p>Itadaki is fully accessible to international visitors. Our printed menu in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean \u2014 paired with a step-by-step visual eating guide \u2014 means you can order, understand, and fully enjoy the experience without any Japanese. Our staff is welcoming to guests from around the world, and translation apps work without issue at the table.<\/p>\n<p>The only thing that requires action on your part is the reservation. Horai Wagyu sells out. During the Asian Games, it will sell out faster than usual. Book via Tabelog before you arrive, confirm your date on our Instagram, and the rest takes care of itself.<\/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 about the multilingual menu, the five-step guide, and why the 10-bowl daily limit matters even more during Asian Games week. The only remaining question is whether your preferred date still has availability. Secure your reservation now via Tabelog \u2014 before the 10 bowls for your day are spoken for.<\/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 Experience at Itadaki<\/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 surprised even me when I first heard it: roughly 70% of international travelers to Japan say that language anxiety is the single biggest reason they end up eating at familiar chain restaurants instead of the local specialty spots they actually wanted to try. Seventy percent. That's not a small thing \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":878,"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":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-itadaki-story"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879","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=879"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":880,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879\/revisions\/880"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}