{"id":888,"date":"2026-09-19T13:46:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T04:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/19\/osu-kamimaezu-access-asian-games-lunch\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T13:46:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T04:46:47","slug":"osu-kamimaezu-access-asian-games-lunch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/2026\/09\/19\/osu-kamimaezu-access-asian-games-lunch\/","title":{"rendered":"Osu Kannon &#038; Kamimaezu Station Access: Perfect Lunch Between Asian Games Events"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p>Here's a number that might surprise you: in a survey conducted by the Japan Tourism Agency (2023 Visitor Satisfaction Survey), navigation difficulty ranked as the <strong>second most common frustration<\/strong> among foreign visitors to Japan \u2014 cited more often than language barriers or food concerns. In a district like Osu, where 1,200 shops spill across a labyrinth of covered arcades and side streets, that frustration is very real.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, the Asian Games Nagoya 2026 is bringing a record number of international visitors into exactly this part of the city. If you have an event at the stadium in the morning and another in the afternoon \u2014 or you're simply squeezing in sightseeing between matches \u2014 the window for a proper lunch is short. Getting lost in Osu can eat up that window fast.<\/p>\n<p>This guide is built for that exact scenario. We'll walk you through how to find Itadaki \u2014 <em>the originator of Rare Wagyu Gyudon<\/em> \u2014 from Yabacho Station, Kamimaezu Station, and Nagoya Station, so you arrive without stress and leave with plenty of time for your next event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who This Is For<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Visitors attending Asian Games 2026 events in Nagoya with a lunch break between sessions<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Anyone staying near Nagoya Station who wants to visit Osu Kannon and grab a memorable lunch on the same trip<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 First-time visitors to Osu who find the district's layout confusing and want a clear, step-by-step route<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Travelers who've heard about rare wagyu gyudon but aren't sure how to actually get there<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Anyone who's ever walked past a 2nd-floor restaurant and never found it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_9858.jpg\" alt=\"Osu Kannon &amp; Kamimaezu Station Access: Perfect Lunch Between Asian Games Events | Itadaki - The Original Rare Wagyu Gyudon\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>Why So Many Visitors Miss Itadaki on the First Try<\/h2>\n<p>Itadaki sits on the <strong>2nd floor of a building on Osu's main street<\/strong>. That detail matters more than it sounds. In a district where every ground-floor shopfront is competing for your attention \u2014 temple souvenirs, vintage sneakers, bubble tea \u2014 a staircase leading upward is easy to walk straight past.<\/p>\n<p>Add to that the fact that Google Maps in Osu can be imprecise. The pin drops you somewhere in the general area, but the narrow covered arcades and parallel alleys mean \"close\" on a map can still mean five minutes of doubling back on foot. For visitors on a schedule between Asian Games sessions, those five minutes feel like fifty.<\/p>\n<p>The fix is simple: know what to look for before you arrive. At street level, look for the Japanese sign reading <strong>\u300c\u5143\u7956\u30ec\u30a2\u725b\u4e3c \u9802\u300d<\/strong> (pronounced: <em>Ganso Rea Gyudon Itadaki<\/em>). That sign marks the base of the staircase. Once you see it, you're there. Take the stairs to the 2nd floor, and you'll find our 18-seat restaurant \u2014 sofa seating, no noise from the street, a complete change of pace from the arcade below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--soft\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">The checklist above covers the route \u2014 but Itadaki's operating calendar during the Asian Games period has irregular closure dates that a static article can't keep up with. The monthly business schedule, updated in real time, lives on our Instagram. Takes 10 seconds to check before you plan your route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sag-cta__action\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/itadaki_gyudon.08\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Check the Asian Games period business calendar on Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Your Step-by-Step Access Checklist<\/h2>\n<p>Before you head out, run through this quick checklist to make sure you're set up for a smooth arrival.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Are you coming from Nagoya Station?<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is the most common starting point for visitors staying in central Nagoya. Here's the cleanest route:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Take the <strong>Higashiyama Subway Line<\/strong> from Nagoya Station toward Fujigaoka.<\/li>\n<li>Get off at <strong>Sakae Station<\/strong> (two stops, about 4 minutes).<\/li>\n<li>Transfer to the <strong>Meijo Line<\/strong> at Sakae.<\/li>\n<li>Ride one stop to <strong>Yabacho Station<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Exit from <strong>Exit 4<\/strong> and walk 4 minutes to Itadaki.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Total time from Nagoya Station: <strong>approximately 10 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Are you coming from Kamimaezu Station or Osu Kannon Station?<\/strong><br \/>\nBoth stations place you within easy walking distance. If you've spent the morning at Osu Kannon Temple, you're already in the right neighborhood. From Osu Kannon Station, head south along the main shopping arcade \u2014 Itadaki is approximately an 8-minute walk. From Kamimaezu, it's a similar distance heading north through the arcade.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Are you starting from Yabacho Station?<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is the closest station: Exit 4, then a 4-minute walk. Yabacho is also the nearest station to <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=852\">Osu Kannon Temple and the surrounding sightseeing area<\/a>, making it a natural hub if you're combining a temple visit with lunch.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Do you have the sign to look for?<\/strong><br \/>\nAt street level: <strong>\u300c\u5143\u7956\u30ec\u30a2\u725b\u4e3c \u9802\u300d<\/strong>. Staircase up to 2nd floor. That's your landmark. Screenshot it before you leave your hotel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Have you checked today's opening status?<\/strong><br \/>\nItadaki is open Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday \u2014 11:00 to 15:00 (last order 30 minutes before closing). On public holidays, hours shift to 09:00\u201315:00. Irregular closures do happen, so checking the monthly business calendar on Instagram before you go is always a good idea. During the Asian Games period, September 19 (Saturday) falls within regular operating hours.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u25a1 Are you hoping for Horai Wagyu specifically?<\/strong><br \/>\nHorai Wagyu \u2014 raised by just 3 farms in Aichi, with only 300 heads produced annually \u2014 is limited to <strong>10 bowls per day<\/strong>. During Asian Games season, lunch hours fill quickly. A reservation via Tabelog is the only way to secure your bowl. Walk-ins for Mikawa Beef gyudon are usually possible, but Horai Wagyu can sell out before noon on busy days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2713 Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Itadaki is 4 minutes from Yabacho Station Exit 4, and about 10 minutes total from Nagoya Station via the Higashiyama + Meijo lines.<\/li>\n<li>Look for the street-level sign \u300c\u5143\u7956\u30ec\u30a2\u725b\u4e3c \u9802\u300d \u2014 the restaurant is on the 2nd floor, easily missed if you don't know what to look for.<\/li>\n<li>Horai Wagyu is limited to 10 bowls daily \u2014 during Asian Games events, reserve in advance via Tabelog to avoid missing out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"sag-cta sag-cta--mid\">\n<p class=\"sag-cta__bridge\">You've confirmed the route and know the sign to look for \u2014 the one remaining variable is whether Horai Wagyu will still be available when you walk in. With only 10 bowls prepared each day and Asian Games lunch hours filling fast, a Tabelog reservation is the only way to guarantee your bowl is waiting. The reservation form takes a few minutes to complete.<\/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>Timing Your Lunch Between Events<\/h2>\n<p>The Asian Games schedule means many visitors are running between venues with 2\u20133 hour gaps between sessions. That's actually an ideal window for an Osu lunch: 15\u201320 minutes from most central venues to Yabacho by subway, 30\u201345 minutes for the meal itself, and time to walk through the Osu arcade or stop at Osu Kannon Temple before heading back.<\/p>\n<p>If you're arriving from the direction of Sakae or the arena district, you can also combine your route with a stop at <a href=\"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/?p=864\">Osu's main sightseeing spots on the way to or from lunch<\/a> \u2014 Osu Kannon Temple is practically a waypoint between the station and the restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>One thing we hear often from guests who've made this kind of event-day trip: the change of pace is part of the value. After a morning in a large arena, stepping into a quiet 18-seat restaurant with sofa seating \u2014 no background noise, no rush \u2014 feels like a reset before the afternoon session.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\"The staff were welcoming and made us feel at home even without perfect Japanese.\"<\/p>\n<p><cite>\u2014 Guest review<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That's something we genuinely care about at Itadaki. Founder Masayuki Goto designed the experience with international visitors in mind from the beginning \u2014 printed menus in English, Simplified Chinese, and Korean, a photographic 5-step guide for enjoying the dish, and a team trained to communicate clearly even across language gaps. You don't need to speak Japanese to have a complete experience here.<\/p>\n<h2>One More Thing to Check Before You Go<\/h2>\n<p>A practical note that often gets overlooked: Itadaki is on the <strong>2nd floor, accessed by staircase<\/strong>. If you're visiting with a stroller, please note that access requires climbing the stairs. Staff may be able to assist depending on conditions at the time, though this can't be guaranteed. Arriving with a bit of extra time gives everyone a more relaxed experience.<\/p>\n<p>For guests with credit cards, IC cards, or mobile payment (Apple Pay, Google Pay): payment methods are confirmed on our official English page \u2014 it's worth checking before you head out so there are no surprises at the end of your meal.<\/p>\n<p>Osu doesn't have to be confusing. With the right exit, the right sign, and a reservation in hand, the walk from Yabacho Station to Itadaki takes four minutes. The bowl of rare wagyu gyudon waiting at the top of those stairs \u2014 made entirely from Aichi Prefecture ingredients, prepared using a proprietary two-stage cooking technique \u2014 is worth every one of them.<\/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 got the route, the landmark sign, and the timing figured out \u2014 the last step is locking in your seat before the 10 daily Horai Wagyu bowls are claimed. Securing a reservation via Tabelog means you arrive at Yabacho Station knowing lunch is already taken care of, not hoping it is.<\/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 might surprise you: in a survey conducted by the Japan Tourism Agency (2023 Visitor Satisfaction Survey), navigation difficulty ranked as the second most common frustration among foreign visitors to Japan \u2014 cited more often than language barriers or food concerns. In a district like Osu, where 1,200 shops spill across a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":887,"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-888","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\/888","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=888"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":889,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/888\/revisions\/889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itadaki8.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}