UpcomingJapan for Foodies: Markets, Sake & Tasting Events
Graze morning markets, walk a centuries-old sake district, and time your trip around the country's biggest sake festival.
© Syced · CC0When
Date
City
Upcoming
UpcomingFukuoka & Kyushu: Yatai, Festivals & Friendly Nights
Fukuoka is Japan's friendliest food city — start at the Nakasu yatai stalls, catch the dawn float race, and meet locals easily.
© mmry0241 · CC BY-SA 3.0
UpcomingFoodie Events: Sake, Street Eats & Markets
Eat your way through Japan: morning sushi at Tsukiji, yatai stalls in Fukuoka, beer halls, and the country's biggest sake festival.
© Shisma · CC BY 4.0
OfficialOn nowKuromon Ichiba Market
Known as 'Osaka's Kitchen,' this 580-metre covered arcade packs around 150 stalls of fresh seafood, grilled crab, sea urchin, wagyu skewers and street snacks.
2026/07/01 08:00 OsakaFree
© Choi2451 · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialOn nowSapporo Odori Beer Garden
Japan's largest outdoor beer garden takes over Odori Park each summer, with rival breweries pouring ice-cold draft under the open sky.
2026/07/21 12:00 SapporoFree
© 禁樹なずな · Public domain
OfficialUpcomingDaiichi Makishi Public Market
Naha's vibrant 'kitchen': vivid Okinawan reef fish, pork and produce downstairs, then a 'mochiagari' service cooks your picks at the upstairs eateries.
2026/08/15 08:00 OkinawaFree
© Jan Schoepe · CC0
OfficialUpcomingMeguro Sanma Festival 2026
A quirky Tokyo street festival born from a comic rakugo tale, where charcoal-grilled Pacific saury is served with sudachi citrus to long, happy queues.
2026/09/06 10:00 TokyoFree
© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcomingSapporo Autumn Fest
A three-week harvest food festival in Odori Park celebrating Hokkaido's bounty — fresh seafood, ramen, sweets, wine and local produce.
2026/09/11 10:00 SapporoFree
© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0OfficialUpcomingOktoberfest 2026 in Shiba Park (Autumn)
Japan's Munich-recognised Oktoberfest brings genuine German breweries, Bavarian food and oompah bands to Shiba Park beneath Tokyo Tower.
2026/09/11 11:00 TokyoPaid: entry plus a refundable glass deposit; food and beer charged on site.
© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcomingBelgian Beer Weekend Kyoto 2026
UNESCO-listed Belgian beer culture lands in front of Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji temple — dozens of imported brews, frites, waffles and live music in an open-air city festival.
2026/10/08 12:00 KyotoFree
© Henxter · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcomingSaijo Sake Festival 2026: Dates, Tickets & Access
Saijo Sake Festival 2026 runs October 10–11 in Hiroshima's sake capital — Japan's largest sake-tasting event. Confirmed dates, 2025 reference ticket price, and access below.
2026/10/10 10:00 HiroshimaFestival free to enter; the 'Sake Plaza' tasting pass is paid
© OS6 · CC BY-SA 3.0OfficialUpcomingTokyo Ramen Show
Japan's largest ramen festival gathers 36 famous shops from Hokkaido to Kyushu under one open-air roof in Komazawa Park — one steaming bowl at a time.
2026/10/22 10:00 TokyoFree
© Shisma · CC BY 4.0
OfficialUpcomingHiroshima Food Festival
Hiroshima's biggest autumn food fair fills the grounds of Hiroshima Castle with okonomiyaki, oysters, lemons and gourmet stalls from every corner of the prefecture.
2026/10/24 10:00 HiroshimaFree
© EllieBellie25 · CC BY-SA 4.0OfficialUpcomingKanda Curry Grand Prix 2026: Oct 31-Nov 1 (Official Site) - Free Entry, 20 Shops
Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2026 is set for Oct 31-Nov 1, 2026, per the official site (checked Jul 2026; still marked provisional). Free entry -- about 20 finalist shops from Kanda's 400+ curry houses, and visitor voting crowns the champion.
2026/10/31 10:00 TokyoFree
© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcomingRamen Expo Osaka 2026: Nov–Dec Dates, 60 Shops
Ramen Expo Osaka 2026 runs late Nov–Dec, ~60 shops, ~¥900/bowl. 2026 dates aren't out yet — 2025 ran Nov 22–Dec 30 in six acts, so expect a similar window.
2026/11/22 10:00 OsakaPark admission plus ramen tickets (typically around ¥900 per bowl).
© Type specimen · CC BY-SA 3.0OfficialUpcomingBelgian Beer Weekend Shinjuku 2026
An indoor winter edition of Belgian Beer Weekend in Shinjuku's airy Sankaku Hiroba — 60-plus Belgian beers, cheese-and-chocolate pairings and embassy chef dinners, warm and comfortable.
2026/12/02 16:00 TokyoFree
© Henxter · CC BY-SA 4.0OfficialUpcomingCraft Sake Week at Roppongi Hills 2027
Founded by footballer Hidetoshi Nakata, this open-air festival pours around 130 regional breweries' sake in the heart of Roppongi each spring.
2027/04/16 11:00 TokyoPaid: a starter set buys a glass plus tasting tokens; extra tokens sold on site.
© Volfgang · CC BY-SA 3.0OfficialPast eventTsukiji Outer Market & Toyosu Food Walk
Tokyo's food paradise: graze on fresh sushi, tamagoyaki and seafood at the historic Tsukiji Outer Market.
2026/06/25 08:00 TokyoFree
© Syced · CC0
OfficialPast eventYokohama Chinatown Street Food
Wander Japan's largest Chinatown for steaming nikuman, xiaolongbao and panda sweets among ornate gates and red lanterns.
2026/06/25 11:00 YokohamaFree
© Syced · CC0
OfficialPast eventShinsekai Kushikatsu Food Crawl
Dive into retro Shinsekai beneath Tsutenkaku Tower for Osaka's famous deep-fried kushikatsu skewers and neon old-Osaka charm.
2026/06/27 17:00 OsakaSkewers from around 130 yen each
© Sakai Yayoi · CC0
OfficialPast eventFushimi Sake District Brewery Walk
Stroll Kyoto's historic Fushimi sake quarter, where soft spring water and centuries-old breweries make some of Japan's finest sake.
2026/06/28 11:00 KyotoTastings and museum entry from a few hundred yen
© 663highland · CC BY 2.5
LumaPast eventiiyon!! Half-Year BBQ Beer Garden Party
A rooftop BBQ and beer-garden party under Tokyo Tower — grill, drinks and skyline views.
2026/06/28 16:00 Tokyo¥7,500
© iiyon!! · via Luma
OfficialPast eventNagoya Meshi Food Tour
Taste Nagoya's bold local specialties — miso katsu, hitsumabushi eel, tebasaki wings and curry udon — across the city center.
2026/06/30 17:00 NagoyaPay per dish; meals from around 800 yen
© Chris 73 · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialPast eventNijo Market
Sapporo's 125-year-old fish market in the heart of downtown: crab legs, sea-urchin, salmon roe and steaming kaisen-don bowls from morning to early evening.
2026/07/01 08:00 SapporoFree
© pelican from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0OfficialPast eventOkonomimura Okonomiyaki Village
A whole building stacked with 23 okonomiyaki stalls: watch chefs layer cabbage, noodles and egg on sizzling teppan in Hiroshima's soul-food theme park.
2026/07/01 11:00 HiroshimaFree
© EllieBellie25 · CC BY-SA 4.0OfficialPast eventOsaka Japanese Whisky Bar Night
Settle into Osaka's intimate whisky bars to sample award-winning Japanese single malts poured by passionate bartenders.
2026/07/01 19:00 OsakaPours from around 1,000 yen; some bars add a seat charge
© Type specimen · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialPast eventToyosu Market
Tokyo's vast wholesale fish market with tuna auctions, viewing decks and fresh-sushi restaurants open to visitors.
2026/07/02 06:00 TokyoFree
© Angelo DeSantis from Berkeley, US · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventYebisu Brewery Tokyo
Yebisu beer's birthplace at Yebisu Garden Place, with a museum, guided tours and a tasting taproom.
2026/07/02 12:00 TokyoFree
© Wpcpey · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast eventYanaka Ginza Shopping Street
Retro Shitamachi shopping street near Ueno lined with food stalls, wagashi sweets, croquettes and old-Tokyo charm.
2026/07/03 11:00 TokyoFree
© Stephen Kelly from San Francisco, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventShinjuku Omoide Yokocho
Atmospheric postwar alley by Shinjuku's west exit packed with ~60 yakitori, motsu-yaki and gyoza eateries.
2026/07/04 18:00 TokyoFree
© Manish Prabhune · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventGekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Historic sake museum in Kyoto's Fushimi brewing district with exhibits, brewery tours and a tasting corner.
2026/07/05 09:30 KyotoPaid admission including a tasting; open 9:30-16:30 (last entry 16:00). Cashless from July 2026.
© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0
OfficialPast eventHakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
Free sake museum in Kobe's Nada Gogo district inside a Taisho-era brewhouse, with life-size displays and tastings.
2026/07/06 09:30 OsakaFree
© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0
OfficialPast eventYokohama Red Brick Warehouse Events
Yokohama's historic waterfront warehouses host seasonal festivals — Oktoberfest, flower garden, ice rink and food fairs.
2026/07/06 11:00 YokohamaFree
© Guilhem Vellut · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventOktoberfest in Japan
German beer festivals tour Japan's cities each year with imported brews, sausages and live oompah bands.
2026/07/08 12:00 Across JapanFree
© Nesnad · CC BY 4.0
OfficialPast eventKawabata Shopping Arcade
Hakata's oldest 400 m covered arcade with 130+ shops, eateries and the famous Kawabata zenzai red-bean sweet.
2026/07/09 11:00 FukuokaFree
© BradBeattie · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialPast eventToji Temple Kobo-ichi Market
On the 21st of every month, nearly 1,000 stalls fill the grounds of UNESCO-listed Toji Temple with street food, antiques, pickles and crafts beneath its great pagoda.
2026/07/21 08:00 KyotoFree
© Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialPast eventYanagibashi Rengo Market
Dubbed 'Hakata's Kitchen,' this century-old covered alley packs 40-plus stalls of glistening Genkai-sea fish, fugu, and pickles that pro chefs swear by.
2026/08/01 08:00 FukuokaFree
© PattayaPatrol · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast eventOmicho Market
Kanazawa's 300-year-old kitchen: ~170 stalls of Sea of Japan crab, sweet shrimp and just-sliced sashimi rice bowls under one covered arcade.
2026/08/01 09:00 KanazawaFree
© AUSH baowHAO 260088 · CC0
OfficialPast eventHarushika Sake Brewery Tasting
In a Naramachi machiya once home to a Kofukuji monk, taste five Harushika sakes and keep the souvenir glass — sake from the very birthplace of Japanese sake.
2026/08/01 10:00 NaraFive-sake tasting approx. ¥500 with souvenir glass
© Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions
OfficialPast eventNakatanidou High-Speed Mochi Pounding
Nara's famous mochi shop where two artisans pound steaming mugwort rice at blinding speed, then hand you a warm, soft yomogi mochi filled with red bean.
2026/08/01 10:00 NaraFree
© Ssemmanda will · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast eventShin-Yokohama Ramen Museum
The world's first ramen theme park: slurp regional ramen styles in a recreated 1958 Tokyo backstreet, with gluten-free and vegetarian bowls too.
2026/08/01 11:00 YokohamaAdmission: adults ¥450, children ¥100, under 6 free (ramen extra)
© Asturio Cantabrio · CC BY-SA 4.0