The Kiritanpo Festival is held in Odate, the home of kiritanpo (rice cooked on a stick). It is one of the most famous food events in Akita Prefecture, and this year marks the 54th festival.

During the event, more than 10 kiritanpo restaurants from Odate City will come together and compete to see who is the No. 1 restaurant, based on customer votes, in the Honba Odate Kiritanpo Grand Prix. There will also be experiences like “Cook 10,000 Kiritanpo” and “Make Odate Mage Wappa.”

There will be a stage featuring not only performances by local artists and groups from Odate, but also Odate’s own local hero. It’s an event for adults and children alike.

Event Dates	Every year for the 2days of the Saturday and Sunday in the second week of October
Event Details	10:00 to 17:00, October 11 (Saturday) and 12 (Sunday), 2026 This year will be the 54rd Kiritanpo Festival.
Official site	https://odate-foodfes.com/
Location (venue)	Nipro Hachiko Dome
Address	1-1 Inaridai, Kamiyono, Odate-shi, Akita

Region	Hokkaido Tohoku
Category	Food

Event organizers may change the date and time. Please check the official website.

update: Aug.18.2026