Date visited: September 3, 2026 (Thu)
Weather: Rain, with occasional heavy showers
I fell asleep…
Wait. What about dinner?
Tonight, I Ended Up at Nara Sakagura Nabe
That evening, I walked into Nara Sakagura Nabe, a restaurant near Sarusawa Pond in Nara.
What I ordered was their
Oyster Sake-Kasu Hot Pot.
It’s a hot pot made with oysters from Sakoshi in Ako, Hyogo Prefecture, simmered in a sake-kasu broth.
However—
this was not the restaurant I had originally planned to visit.
So why was I here?
Let’s rewind a little.
I Had Already Been Drinking Since the Afternoon
I had spent the morning walking around Nara, from Todaiji to Naramachi.
Then I stopped at the Harushika brewery for a tasting of five different kinds of sake.
After that, the rain became heavier, so I returned to my hotel.
At check-in, I had been told that there was an alcohol service from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Before going to the bath,
I decided to do a little reconnaissance.
When I went to have a look, I discovered that it was free.
Harushika sake.
White wine.
Red wine.
I drank at lunchtime.
And now I was drinking at the hotel.
Well.
I’m traveling.
Sake, a Bath, and Then…
After that, I went to the public bath.
A hot bath after walking through the rain.
When I returned to my room, there was still a little time before dinner.
I’ll just rest for a moment.
Onto the bed.
…
I was asleep.
I looked at the clock.
Wait. What?
The restaurant I had planned to visit was about to close.
What am I going to do about dinner?
For now, I headed outside.
“That Was Delicious”
Actually, before returning to the hotel, I had noticed another restaurant that looked interesting.
An oyster restaurant.
But I already had somewhere else in mind for dinner, so I had walked past it.
Now I returned to the restaurant.
Just then, a couple came out.
I heard one of them say,
“That was delicious.”
…
That is some pretty powerful information.
Not an online review.
A comment from someone who had literally just finished eating there.
All right.
This is the place.
Change of plans.
I went into Nara Sakagura Nabe.
One Drink Required. So, What Should I Have?
The restaurant requires each customer to order at least one drink.
A soft drink would have been perfectly fine.
But—
that somehow felt like a waste.
Yes, I had already had a fair amount to drink that day.
I knew that.
And yet, I chose—
Aragoshi Mikan, a mandarin orange fruit liqueur.
Harushika at lunchtime.
Harushika and wine at the hotel.
And now, mandarin orange liqueur with dinner.
…
I was drinking quite a lot that day.
Oyster Hot Pot in Sake-Kasu Broth
The hot pot arrived with a portable gas stove.
From here, I would finish cooking it myself.
Turn on the heat.
Wait for it to simmer.
Then eat.
The oysters were from Sakoshi in Ako, Hyogo Prefecture.
I had come all the way to Nara—
and met oysters from Hyogo.
…Hello.
Oysters in a sake-kasu hot pot.
It was delicious.
I hadn’t made it to the dinner I originally planned, but instead, I had stumbled across something unexpectedly good.
Wait… What About the Finish?
I finished the hot pot.
The menu said:
Finish with fondue cheese and rice for risotto.
Naturally, I assumed the rice and cheese were included as part of the set.
So I waited.
…
Nothing came.
Finally, I asked the staff,
“What about the finishing course?”
And then I found out—
it was an additional order.
What?
And the last-order time had already passed.
I had messed up.
But the staff kindly helped me out.
Thank you.
I ordered rice and cheese.
Then I added them to the pot myself to finish the dish.
The Food Fighter Who Can’t Handle Hot Food Is in Trouble
Add rice and cheese, and the sake-kasu hot pot turns into cheese risotto.
Delicious.
But—
hot.
I’m very sensitive to hot food.
And the rice soaked up the broth, becoming much more filling than I had expected.
Then I happened to look around.
The restaurant was already in closing mode.
Before I knew it, I was the only customer left.
I wanted to hurry.
But it was hot.
And I was already full.
The food fighter with a sensitive tongue was now racing against closing time.
Let Me Pay First
By this point, I was starting to feel bad about keeping them.
“Would you like me to pay now?”
I asked.
“That would help.”
So I settled the bill.
Exactly ¥5,000.
I paid in cash and returned to my risotto.
Somehow, I managed to finish it all.
Thank you for the meal.
“Restaurants Close Early in Nara, Don’t They?”
As I was leaving, someone who seemed to be the manager spoke to me.
He said that restaurants in Nara tend to close early, which can make things difficult.
We chatted for a little while.
When I told him,
“I’m thinking of writing about this on my blog,”
he seemed pleased.
And I told him,
“It was delicious.”
It really was.
Then I remembered the words I had heard just before entering the restaurant.
“That was delicious.”
I was glad I trusted that one little comment.
However—
Nara’s restaurants closing early was not the only reason I had trouble finding dinner that night.
I did not mention the part where I had fallen asleep.
YUMEVOJA Food Radar
Nara Sakagura Nabe
“Oyster Sake-Kasu Hot Pot” — ¥3,630 per person, including tax + rice + cheese
Sweetness: ★☆☆☆☆
Saltiness: ★★☆☆☆
Dashi: ★★☆☆☆
Oiliness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Spiciness: ☆☆☆☆☆
Aroma: ★☆☆☆☆
Portion size: Generous
Ease of visiting: ★★★☆☆
【YUMEVOJA Satisfaction】
★★★★☆ Satisfied
This is my personal impression, including the food, atmosphere, and people.
📍 For the latest opening hours, closing days, crowd levels, menu details, and prices, please check Google Maps and the official website.
Information may change.
📍 Google Maps 👇
Nara Sakagura Nabe
🌐 Official website 👇
Nara Sakagura Nabe
I Did Make It There the Next Day
By the way.
The restaurant I missed because I fell asleep?
I went there properly the following evening.
Hiraso, for kakinoha-zushi.
→【🍵Beauty & Taste| Nara | Yesterday, Oysters. Today, Persimmon: Kakinoha Sushi at Hiraso】
My original plan fell apart.
I discovered an oyster sake-kasu hot pot instead.
And the next day, I went back and completed the original plan too.
In the end, I simply got one extra meal out of it.
Well.
I can live with that. Haha.
Exploring Nara That Day
Earlier that day, I had walked from rainy Nara Park to Todaiji and then on through Naramachi.
My three days in Nara went far beyond just the Great Buddha and the deer.
→【🚉Stopover Journey|Solo Trip to Nara – Part 1 | Meeting the Great Buddha Again】
→【🚉Stopover Journey|Solo Trip to Nara – Part 2 | Beyond the Great Buddha and Deer】
👉 Related illustrations here
(Free to use)
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