Japan seems to always be celebrating food and drinks, whether it's classics like ramen and sake, or less-common fare like cheese and vegetarian dishes. Here is a roundup of tasty festivals that will leave you satiated and satisfied.
Food Festivals:
Celebrate National Cheese Day this year at the two-day 2014 Cheese Festa. Enthusiasts will have access to over 200 types of cheese and can discover recipes, attend informational seminars and of course enjoy the complimentary samples.
This veggie heaven will have around 100 food stands and shops selling not only vegan and organic food but also environmentally friendly products. Tokyo Vegefood Fest will feature workshops, stage talk shows and various activities for families and friends.
Athletes and gym addicts will be able to not only try exclusive energy bars and drinks but also discover new fitness equipment and sportswear. The expo runs for three consecutive days at Tokyo Big Sight.
The Tokyo Ramen Show is divided in two parts: Between Oct. 24-29, visitors can try 20 different established types of ramen, and then from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3, they can try 20 new recipes. The 40 ramen styles and flavors come from vendors from all over Japan.
The sugary event is running race with baked-goods stations set up along the way next to the usual water stations. You can run — and eat — your way through the whole 10K, or do it in a relay with a group of hungry friends.
Meat is known to be quite expensive around Japan but here is a chance to try a smorgasbord of meat at a reasonable price. The meat fest features live music, as well as various drinks and desserts.
Beverage Festivals:
Coco farm and winery, located in Tochigi Prefecture, opens up its door to its winery festival. Surrounded by nature, the winery offers you the chance to sip local wine and munch on a variety of dishes while grooving to live music.
Festivin: Natural Wine Festival
Winemakers converge to offer over 300 natural wines to sample. The event will also feature food from renowned chefs as well as live music.
Sake lovers can enjoy bar-hopping near Kita-Senju Station during this year’s Adachi Sake Festival. Local breweries will set up shop around Kita-Senju’s bars, featuring all-you-can-drink shinshu, the first sake of the season.
Split into two events and hosted at Billboard Live Tokyo, the Tequila Festa will feature 200 kinds of tequila, special original drinks, a live DJ and a tequila cocktail competition.
