Yamagata Imonikai Festival
The Yamagata Imonikai Festival is famous for being Japan’s largest outdoor stew party.
This unique event is a celebration of imoni, a regional taro and potato stew popular throughout the Tohoku region.
It takes place on the banks of the Mamigasaki River in Yamagata City.
The main spectacle of the festival is the truly gigantic cauldron used to cook the stew.
This massive pot, named Nabeburo Number 3, measures an incredible six and a half meters in diameter.
Even more uniquely, the ingredients for the 30,000 servings of imoni are mixed using large, specially prepared construction excavators.
Thousands of visitors queue up to buy a bowl of the famous stew cooked in this remarkable way.
At the 30th Imoni Festival held on September 16, 2018, the event set a a Guinness World Record by serving a total of 12,695 people soup in 8 hours.
The event has a lively, picnic-like atmosphere, with many other food stalls and entertainment on the riverbank.
Event Details
- Date
- The festival will take place on Sunday, September 14th, 2025.
- Time
- The festival grounds open in the morning, with the distribution of imoni typically starting around 9:00am and continuing until it is sold out.
- Location
- Mamigasaki Riverbank, Yamagata City, Yamagata Prefecture.
- Admission
- Entry to the festival area is free.
- A ticket must be purchased to receive a serving of imoni.
- Please Note
- This is an extremely popular event, and very long queues for the imoni are expected.
- The event is held outdoors and is subject to weather conditions.
Directions & Travel Information
- By Train
- The main access station for the city is Yamagata Station.
- Yamagata Shinkansen
- Yamagata Station is directly accessible from Tokyo via the Yamagata Shinkansen line.
- From Yamagata Station to the Venue
- The festival site on the riverbank is located a few kilometers from the station.
- Shuttle Bus
- Special shuttle buses typically run frequently between Yamagata Station and the festival venue on the day of the event.
- Taking the shuttle bus is the most highly recommended method of access.
Event Summary
| calendar_month DATE | Sep 14 2025 |
|---|---|
| schedule TIME | 8:30 am - 4:00 pm |
| payments Cost | FREE |
| info Website | Official Website |
| location_on Location | Mamigasaki Riverbank |
|---|---|
| map Area | Yamagata |
| category CATEGORY | Food Food Festival |
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