{"id":885,"date":"2026-09-19T11:32:56","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:32:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/19\/rare-wagyu-safety-nagoya-asian-games\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T11:32:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T02:32:58","slug":"rare-wagyu-safety-nagoya-asian-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/19\/rare-wagyu-safety-nagoya-asian-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian Games 2026: Global Foodies Discover Nagoya's Rare Wagyu Beef"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>You're scrolling through Google Maps somewhere in Nagoya, maybe between stadium events or after a morning at Osu Kannon Temple, when a listing stops you cold: <em>Rare Wagyu Gyudon<\/em>. The photos are striking \u2014 thinly sliced beef, a golden egg yolk, a bowl of rice that somehow looks both humble and extraordinary. Then you read the description more carefully. <em>Rare-style<\/em>. And that familiar hesitation kicks in.<\/p>\n<p>Is this actually safe to eat? Back home, health authorities in the US, UK, Australia, and much of Europe actively advise against consuming undercooked beef. E. coli. Salmonella. You've heard the warnings. And yet here you are, staring at what might be the most interesting-looking lunch of your entire Japan trip \u2014 during one of the biggest sporting events Central Japan has ever hosted.<\/p>\n<p>That exact moment \u2014 the curiosity-meets-caution freeze \u2014 is something we hear about regularly here at Itadaki. And it's exactly what this article is for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who This Is For<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Travelers visiting Nagoya for the 2026 Asian Games who want to explore local food but aren't sure about rare-style beef preparations<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Visitors from Western countries who have concerns about food safety when eating rare or near-raw beef<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Wagyu enthusiasts curious about Horai Wagyu but hesitant to take the plunge without understanding the cooking method<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Anyone who discovered Itadaki through Google Maps or a travel guide and wants to know what to expect before making a reservation<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 First-time visitors to Japan exploring authentic culinary experiences beyond the familiar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9555.jpg\" alt=\"Asian Games 2026: Global Foodies Discover Nagoya's Rare Wagyu Beef | Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>The Moment of Discovery \u2014 And the Question That Follows<\/h2>\n<p>During the Asian Games 2026, Nagoya has welcomed an extraordinary wave of food-curious visitors from across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Many of them have already sampled Kobe beef, tried Matsusaka shabu-shabu, and worked their way through the usual highlights of Japanese cuisine. Nagoya itself has been a revelation \u2014 Miso Katsu, Hitsumabushi, Tebasaki \u2014 but every so often, a guest stumbles onto something they weren't expecting at all.<\/p>\n<p>That's how it tends to happen at Itadaki. Not through a concierge recommendation or a food magazine spread, but through the simple act of wandering and searching. One guest recently captured it perfectly:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"I discovered Itadaki through Google Maps and it became the best meal of our Japan trip.\"<\/p>\n<p><cite>\u2014 Guest visiting Nagoya during their Japan trip<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That spontaneous discovery is meaningful to us. But we also know that for many international visitors \u2014 particularly those from Western food cultures \u2014 the phrase \"rare wagyu\" on the menu isn't an instant yes. It's a pause. A search. A conversation with a travel companion. <em>Is this actually safe?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Let's answer that directly.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--soft\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">The food safety question is real, and one article can't capture every detail about how our schedule and availability work during the Asian Games period. Our monthly business calendar \u2014 including irregular closure dates and peak-season updates \u2014 is posted regularly on Instagram. Takes about 30 seconds to check before you plan your lunch.<\/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 Schedule on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Why Western Travelers Hesitate \u2014 And Why Japan Is Different<\/h2>\n<p>The concern is completely understandable, and we don't dismiss it. In the United States and across much of Europe, food safety guidelines from organizations like the USDA and the UK Food Standards Agency specifically warn against eating undercooked ground or whole-muscle beef without proper internal temperature control. The risks \u2014 E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and other pathogens \u2014 are real and well-documented in those food systems.<\/p>\n<p>Japan operates under a different framework, with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare setting its own rigorous standards for beef preparation. But more importantly, what Itadaki serves is not simply \"rare\" beef in the Western sense of the word. What looks rare on the plate is the result of something far more deliberate.<\/p>\n<p>Our founder Masayuki Goto \u2014 a Certified Food Sanitation Supervisor and Licensed Restaurant Operator under the Aichi Prefecture Public Health Center \u2014 developed a proprietary <strong>two-stage cooking technique<\/strong> specifically to solve this challenge. The beef is heated to over 70\u00b0C at the core during preparation, fully meeting Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare food safety requirements. What you experience on the plate \u2014 that soft, almost silken texture that feels rare \u2014 is not undercooked beef. It is the result of a precise, temperature-controlled process that achieves a rare <em>sensation<\/em> while ensuring complete food safety.<\/p>\n<p>This technique is Itadaki's intellectual property. It took time, testing, and Goto's 18 years of food industry experience to develop it correctly. No other gyudon restaurant in Japan offers this same preparation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2713 Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Itadaki's rare-style wagyu is cooked to over 70\u00b0C at the core \u2014 meeting Japan's strictest food safety standards, despite its rare appearance and texture<\/li>\n<li>The two-stage cooking technique is proprietary to Itadaki and was developed under the direct supervision of a Certified Food Sanitation Supervisor<\/li>\n<li>Only premium Aichi Prefecture beef \u2014 Horai Wagyu and Mikawa Beef \u2014 is used, both sourced from farms under rigorous quality control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--mid\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">Now that you understand exactly how the two-stage cooking technique works and why the food safety concern doesn't apply here the way it would back home, the next practical step is securing a bowl before the daily limit runs out. Horai Wagyu is capped at 10 bowls per day, and the Asian Games lunch rush is real. Reservation is handled entirely through Tabelog \u2014 no account required beyond a basic registration.<\/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>What Happens at the Table \u2014 A Realistic Picture<\/h2>\n<p>Understanding the cooking method is one thing. Understanding what it actually means when the bowl arrives in front of you is another. Here's what a typical experience looks like for a first-time visitor navigating this with some initial hesitation.<\/p>\n<p>A couple visiting Nagoya for the Asian Games, staying near Sakae, had debated whether to try Itadaki after seeing it on Google Maps the previous evening. The food safety question had come up in their conversation. They decided to make a reservation via Tabelog and showed up at the Osu location \u2014 a four-minute walk from Yabacho Station \u2014 on a Saturday lunch.<\/p>\n<p>The English-language menu on the table explained the two-stage cooking method clearly. The five-step eating guide, printed in English alongside photographs, walked them through the experience: separating the Nagoya Cochin egg so the yolk sits on the beef, tasting the wagyu first on its own before adding condiments, exploring the pickled ginger, chirimen jako, and the original 8-spice blend in sequence. By step two, the hesitation had dissolved entirely. By step four, they were asking the staff about the farms.<\/p>\n<p>That scenario \u2014 initial caution giving way to genuine delight \u2014 plays out at our counter seats and sofa tables regularly. The printed guide and English menu aren't afterthoughts. They were designed specifically so that international guests could engage with the dish on their own terms, without needing to ask a dozen questions just to feel comfortable eating.<\/p>\n<p>The beef itself \u2014 whether Horai Wagyu (limited to 10 bowls per day) or Mikawa Beef \u2014 comes from farms that Goto sources directly. Horai Wagyu is produced by just three farms in Japan, with only 300 heads raised annually. The cattle are fed on sake lees from Horaisen Sora, a renowned local premium sake \u2014 a feeding method that shapes the beef's distinctive flavor profile. This level of traceability is part of what makes the food safety story coherent from farm to bowl.<\/p>\n<h2>What \"Safe Rare\" Actually Tastes Like<\/h2>\n<p>We could spend more time on the technical explanation, but the more honest thing to say is this: the proof is in the eating.<\/p>\n<p>The texture of Itadaki's rare-style wagyu is unlike anything most international guests have encountered in a beef bowl context. It doesn't have the chewiness of a well-done cut, nor the raw resistance of a steak tartare. It sits in its own category \u2014 yielding, almost buttery, with the marbling of Horai Wagyu's black cattle genetics expressed in a way that a higher-heat preparation would simply destroy. The magic sauce, built on white soy sauce from Hekinan City and blended with wine, complements rather than competes with the beef's natural flavor.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors who have tried Kobe beef, Matsusaka beef, and Omi beef sometimes tell us that Horai Wagyu surprised them most \u2014 not because of aggressive richness, but because of its balance. The lean uchimomo cut of Mikawa Beef, available every day without the 10-bowl limit, offers a different entry point: cleaner, lighter, and a genuine discovery in its own right.<\/p>\n<p>If you're visiting Nagoya during the Asian Games and looking for a lunch that tells you something true about this city and this prefecture, the story of <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=867\">the rare wagyu beef bowl that every Asian Games visitor should try<\/a> begins with exactly this question \u2014 and the answer is already on the table.<\/p>\n<h2>Practical Notes Before You Go<\/h2>\n<p>A few things worth knowing so your visit goes smoothly:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Getting there:<\/strong> Itadaki is located on the 2nd floor at 4-1-20 Osu, Naka-ku, Nagoya \u2014 a four-minute walk from Yabacho Station Exit 4 on the Meijo Subway Line. From Nagoya Station, the total journey is roughly 10 minutes via the Higashiyama Line to Sakae, transferring to the Meijo Line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hours and availability:<\/strong> We're open for lunch only (11:00\u201315:00) on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. On public holidays, we open at 9:00. Wednesday through Friday we are closed. Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls daily and can sell out during peak hours \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=823\">reserving your Horai Wagyu bowl in advance<\/a> is strongly recommended during the Asian Games period. Irregular closures may apply; the monthly business calendar is posted on our official Instagram.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Language support:<\/strong> Menus are available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean. The five-step eating guide is printed in English with photographs. Staff will do their best to assist in English.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Payment:<\/strong> Credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are accepted.<\/p>\n<p>For our complete menu, access details, and store information, visit our official page at <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/english\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/english\/<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>The Question Is Worth Asking<\/h2>\n<p>Food safety concerns aren't a sign of timidity \u2014 they're a sign of being thoughtful about what you eat. We respect that, and we've built Itadaki's entire preparation method around answering that concern with something more than reassurance: a certified, tested, documented technique that delivers both safety and an extraordinary sensory experience.<\/p>\n<p>The Asian Games has brought thousands of visitors to Nagoya who are curious, adventurous, and genuinely interested in discovering what this city tastes like beyond the usual landmarks. Itadaki exists for exactly that kind of discovery. The bowl is waiting. The story behind it is worth knowing. And the answer to your safety question \u2014 the real, detailed, honest one \u2014 is 70\u00b0C at the core, every single time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--close\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You came here with a specific question \u2014 is rare wagyu actually safe to eat \u2014 and now you have a specific answer: 70\u00b0C at the core, certified preparation, and a technique built from 18 years of food industry experience. The only thing left is to sit down at the table. Secure your spot before the 10 daily Horai Wagyu bowls are gone.<\/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>You're scrolling through Google Maps somewhere in Nagoya, maybe between stadium events or after a morning at Osu Kannon Temple, when a listing stops you cold: Rare Wagyu Gyudon. The photos are striking \u2014 thinly sliced beef, a golden egg yolk, a bowl of rice that somehow looks both humble and extraordinary. Then you read [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":884,"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":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rare-gyudon"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885","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=885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":886,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions\/886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}