The restaurant at this location now operates under the Okumuratei brand.
Five wishes will come true for those dining at Narita, a fine French themed restaurant not far from Inuyama Castle and housed in an antique merchants home.
Just two blocks north of Inuyama Station is the Old Okamura Residence, a grand old late Edo Period home built around a wide and stunning traditional Japanese garden in 1842, and now listed as a cultural asset. The house belonged to the Okamura family, who’s ancestor built and held Omori Castle in Gifu before retiring from the ways of the warrior and becoming a wealthy kimono merchant.
Just inside the walled garden is a well from which Oda Nobunaga, Mori Ranmaru and Mori Nagayoshi are said to have drunk from prior to the Battle of Nagashino in 1575 and on his regular visits to Inuyama castle. A plaque commemorates the visit and another painted panel depicts the event. Water from the acclaimed well is used in all the dishes prepared by chef Narita, and is served on the tables as well! According to the current owner, those who partake in water from this well will have five wishes granted. Despite guzzling copious amounts, admittedly I’m still waiting for mine to come true.
There is also an old kura storehouse that once stood within the castle grounds and was moved to it’s present site after the fall of the feudal era in 1868. That kura is now one of the many rooms available in which to enjoy the restaurant’s namesake, Chef Narita’s incredible culinary delights.
Operating as “Narita” since 2000, the old merchants home is a popular wedding venue, with two shrine alters available for the ceremony, and ample seating for the following reception. In fact, there are 11 separate dining areas available, most featuring a view of the beautiful central garden, with seating from as few as two, up to 60 guests at once. The restaurant reaches full capacity at about 300!
And the food,…well, let me put it this way, Chef Narita has been employed by some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants around the nation since 1966. Words cannot possibly do justice to his creations, but a simple visit and a meal later, and you can tell why he’s been in high demand all those years!
Once you’ve been to Narita, you’ll be wishing to go back again soon!
