Japan Beef Festival returns to Kakogawa City in September 2026

The fourth annual ‘Japan Beef Festival’ is scheduled to take place on September 4 and 5, 2026, at the Kakogawa Riverbed Park Doubutsu no Mori Plaza in Kakogawa City. The event, which originated to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Kakogawa Meat Center, has attracted approximately 95,000 visitors over its previous three iterations.

Highlights for the upcoming festival include 2,000 free tastings of Kakogawa Wagyu and the ‘SHIKATAGYU AWARD,’ a creative cooking contest featuring Shikata beef. The event will feature various food trucks offering items such as Shikata beef hamburgers, Kobe beef yakiniku, and beef tongue yakisoba.

A special collaboration with Marugame Seimen will offer a limited edition Shikata beef udon; 400 servings will be available for free starting at 17:00 on September 4. The festival is structured into two parts: a ‘NIGHT PART’ evening preview on the first day and an ‘ALL DAY PART’ on the second day. A new dog-friendly space has also been added for attendees.