Tokachi region hosts agricultural harvest festivals

Agricultural harvest festivals are being held in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido to celebrate local produce and promote farming.

In Sarabetsu Village, the ‘Sarabetsu Grand Harvest Festival 2026’ is scheduled for the 18th at the Village Furusato Hall. Organized by the JA Sarabetsu Youth Division and an executive committee, the event features a ‘Big Eater Battle & Talk Live’ with food personality Angela Sato. The competition will see local winners challenge her in a battle involving curry rice and udon totaling 3 kilograms. Other attractions include Wagyu beef steak demonstrations by Chef Yoshinori Mabuchi and affordable Wagyu beef hot pots.

Additionally, the 36th Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, hosted by the Tokachi Branch of the Hokkaido Association of Small Business Entrepreneurs, drew 4,000 visitors to the Kitaiaikoku Exchange Plaza in Obihiro. The event featured various food competitions, including ‘Meat 1 Grand Prix,’ where visitors compared five types of beef on a single skewer, and ‘Potato 1,’ featuring six varieties of potatoes. The festival aimed to increase regional understanding of agriculture through activities such as butter-making experiences and direct sales of local goods.