Japan is a country where every prefecture has a signature dish — and strong opinions about who makes it best. The All-Japan Foodie Festival (全日本うまいもの祭り) takes that regional pride and concentrates it into one park for 12 days. The 2026 edition runs from April 29 to May 10 at Moricoro Park (Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park) in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture — right in the Nagoya metro area.
If you've ever wanted to taste your way across Japan without buying a dozen Shinkansen tickets, this is the closest you'll get.
What to Eat
The festival typically features 50–80 vendors representing regions from Hokkaido to Okinawa. While the exact lineup changes yearly, past editions have reliably included:
From the North:
- Hokkaido uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe) bowls
- Asahikawa-style soy sauce ramen
- Tokachi beef croquettes
- Sapporo soup curry
From Tohoku & Kanto:
- Sendai gyutan (beef tongue) — grilled thick-cut, the way it should be
- Utsunomiya gyoza — pan-fried and crispy
- Yokohama Chinatown-style shumai
From Chubu & Kansai:
- Nagoya's own tebasaki (chicken wings) and miso katsu
- Takayama ramen — simple soy broth, curly noodles
- Osaka takoyaki — because it's not a food festival without it
- Omi beef skewers from Shiga
From the South:
- Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — layered, not mixed
- Kagoshima kurobuta (black pork) tonkatsu
- Hakata mentaiko (spicy cod roe) rice balls
- Okinawan taco rice and sata andagi (Okinawan doughnuts)
Most items are priced between ¥500 and ¥1,200, making it easy to sample widely without breaking the bank. Bring cash — card acceptance varies by vendor.
The Setting: Moricoro Park
Moricoro Park was built on the site of Expo 2005 (the Aichi World Exposition). It's a sprawling green space with wide lawns, cycling paths, and a large playground. For families, the park's star attraction is Satsuki and Mei's House — a full-scale recreation of the home from Studio Ghibli's "My Neighbor Totoro" (reservation required, but worth it if you have kids).
The festival takes over a large section of the park's event area. There's plenty of lawn space to spread a picnic blanket and eat your haul. On warm May days, it's genuinely pleasant — a far cry from the cramped food festival tents you might be used to.
Strategy for Maximum Eating
- Go with a group. Order different dishes and share. This is the only way to try more than 5–6 things without surrendering.
- Arrive hungry but not starving. The lines for popular stalls can be 20–30 minutes during peak Golden Week days. Pace yourself.
- Weekdays are your friend. The festival runs 12 days specifically to spread the crowds. May 7–8 (Thursday–Friday) will be dramatically less crowded than May 3–5.
- Bring a cooler bag if you want to take specialty items home — many vendors sell packaged regional products alongside their cooked food.
- Hydrate. Late April/early May in Aichi can be surprisingly warm. There are drink stalls, but bringing a water bottle saves time.
Getting There
- From Nagoya Station: Take the Higashiyama Subway Line to Fujigaoka Station (25 minutes), then transfer to the Linimo (magnetic levitation train) to Aichikyuhaku-Kinen-Koen Station (15 minutes). The park entrance is right outside.
- By car: The park has large parking lots, but they fill up fast on Golden Week weekends. Arrive before 10 AM or use public transit.
Combine With
Nagoya is one of Japan's most underrated food cities on its own. If the festival whets your appetite:
- Atsuta Horaiken — The original hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice, served three ways). Near Atsuta Shrine.
- Yabaton — Nagoya's miso katsu institution. Thick tonkatsu doused in sweet red miso sauce.
- Osu Kannon & Shopping Street — Nagoya's answer to Akihabara meets Ameyoko. Vintage shops, street food, and a beautiful temple.
- Toyota Commemorative Museum — If you need a break from eating. The textile-to-automobile history is genuinely fascinating.
The All-Japan Foodie Festival at Moricoro Park is pure, uncomplicated fun. No cultural deep-dive required, no temple etiquette to worry about. Just a park, good weather, and the best regional food in Japan spread out in front of you. Sometimes that's exactly what Golden Week should be.
Image: Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
