Umekoji Park to host Kyoto food and animation festivals in September 2026

Umekoji Park in Kyoto will host two major concurrent events during the Silver Week period from September 19 to September 23, 2026: ‘Kyoto Gyoza Daisakusen 2026 Autumn’ and ‘Kyoto Monozukuri Daisakusen.’

The food festival, ‘Kyoto Gyoza Daisakusen,’ will feature a variety of specialty dumplings from across Japan, including Hamamatsu-style, Hiroshima oyster and lemon, and Hokkaido scallop butter dumplings. Attendees can pair these with craft beers from four local Kyoto breweries: KYOTO NUDE BREWERY, Kyoto Beer Lab, ALDEA YAMASHIRO BEERS, and ASOBI BEER.

Simultaneously, the ‘Kyoto Monozukuri Daisakusen’ will offer hands-on creative workshops. A highlight is a first-time collaboration with the world-renowned stop-motion animation studio Dwarf, where creators will lead workshops on making flipbooks, zoetropes, and professional stop-motion animation. Other activities include drone experiences and children’s play areas such as inflatable domes and traditional festival games.