Key Takeaways: Habikino, a southern Osaka city with more than 140 years in meat processing, holds its free-entry Meat Festival at Ishikawa Riverside Park on October 24–25, 2026. About 40 stalls cook with meat from local wholesalers, and the standouts are a five-cut Kuroge Wagyu tasting and free aburakasu hamburg samples. The park is a 3-minute walk from Komagatani Station, and the event goes ahead rain or shine.
Habikino, Osaka · Oct 24–25, 2026
Habikino Meat Festival: a riverside weekend of Wagyu, aburakasu and local drinks
4th edition · Rain or shine · 3 minutes from Komagatani Station
~40food stalls
5Wagyu cuts to compare
Freeentry
Habikino, a city in southern Osaka Prefecture, has been processing and wholesaling meat for more than 140 years. On the weekend of October 24 and 25, 2026, it puts that trade on the plate. The Habikino Meat Festival (はびきの肉まつりfeat.日本の食まつり), now in its fourth year, fills a riverside park with about 40 food stalls, and entry is free. Below you will find the dates, the best dishes to look for, how to get there, and what happens if it rains.
Quick facts
- Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, 10:00–16:00 (planned)
- Ishikawa Riverside Park, Habikino, Osaka
- Free admission. Food and drinks are paid at each stall
- Highlights: a five-cut Kuroge Wagyu tasting, a free aburakasu hamburg tasting, local wine and craft beer
Contents
Why Habikino calls itself a meat town
Meat processing is one of Habikino’s local industries, with a history of more than 140 years. Wholesalers and processors gathered here over time, and the city grew into one of the main meat distribution hubs in the Kansai region. The city also produces wine, umeshu (plum liqueur) and craft beer, and the Meat Town Habikino label covers all of it: the processing skills, the businesses behind them, and a local food culture built around meat.
The festival exists to show that side of the city. The dishes at the stalls are made with meat bought from wholesalers based in Habikino, so you are tasting the local supply chain rather than generic festival food.
Dates, venue and admission
| Event | Habikino Meat Festival feat. Nippon no Shoku Matsuri (4th edition) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026 |
| Hours | 10:00–16:00 (planned) |
| Venue | Ishikawa Riverside Park (府営石川河川公園), run by Osaka Prefecture |
| Address | 140 Komagatani, Habikino, Osaka (大阪府羽曳野市駒ヶ谷140) |
| Access | 3-minute walk from Komagatani Station (駒ヶ谷駅), Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line |
| Admission | Free |
| Organizer | Osaka Habikino Tourism Bureau (一般財団法人大阪はびきの観光局) and Minami-Osaka Meat Wholesalers Cooperative (南大阪食肉卸商業協同組合) |
| Weather | Held rain or shine. It may be cancelled in severe weather such as a typhoon |
| Inquiries | Osaka Habikino Tourism Bureau, 072-959-2261 |
Entry is free, but food, drinks and meat are paid for at each stall. The announcement does not list prices or accepted payment methods, so check them on the day. If you don’t yet have a card that works in Japan, our guide to credit cards that foreigners can get first is a good place to start.
What to eat, drink and buy
About 40 food stalls take part, all cooking with meat sourced from Habikino’s wholesalers. If you only have time for one thing, make it the Wagyu tasting corner, where you can compare five cuts of domestic Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black beef) side by side and notice how much the texture and flavor change from cut to cut.
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Food stalls (about 40) | A wide range of meat dishes made with meat from Habikino wholesalers |
| Kuroge Wagyu 5-cut tasting corner | Compare five cuts of domestic Japanese Black beef |
| Aburakasu hamburg tasting | Free samples of a hamburg steak made with aburakasu |
| Miso (みそ) | On sale. Despite the name, this is a local dish made with aburakasu |
| Local drinks | Habikino wine, umeshu and craft beer on sale |
| Butcher counter | Raw meat for sale to take home |
| Ennichi corner | Festival-style games and activities for kids |
The drinks deserve a mention. The festival sells local wine, umeshu and craft beer, so you can pair a plate of grilled beef with something made in the same city. With a kids’ corner on site as well, it works for a family day out just as well as for an afternoon of eating and drinking.
What is aburakasu?
Aburakasu is the ingredient most first-time visitors will not have tried. It is made by slowly frying beef parts such as the small intestine until they turn crisp, and southern Osaka has long added it to dishes like udon and okonomiyaki. It is a good example of a food culture that wastes very little of the animal.
The festival gives you two easy ways in: the free aburakasu hamburg tasting, and the local miso dish sold at the venue. Both are worth trying if you want something you are unlikely to find at a festival elsewhere.
Getting there and the weather policy
The nearest station is Komagatani on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line. The park is about a 3-minute walk from there, close enough that you won’t need to plan a car trip.
Rain or shine: the festival goes ahead in the rain. It may be cancelled in severe weather such as a typhoon, and some booths affected by wind and rain may close even if the event runs. The program itself may also change. Before you head out, check the official festival site or the Osaka Habikino Tourism Bureau website.
Organizers and partners
| Organizers | Osaka Habikino Tourism Bureau Minami-Osaka Meat Wholesalers Cooperative |
|---|---|
| Special cooperation | Nippon no Shoku Matsuri Executive Committee (日本の食まつり実行委員会) |
| Supported by | Habikino City Habikino City Board of Education Osaka Prefecture Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (公益財団法人大阪観光局) |
| Sponsors (names as published) | 埴生ミートパッカー株式会社 株式会社萬野総本店 エムエスエイ株式会社 サムテック株式会社 医療法人春秋会城山病院 |
FAQ
- Q. Is there an admission fee?
- No. Entry to the festival is free. Food, drinks and meat are paid for at each stall, and the announcement does not list prices.
- Q. When and where is the Habikino Meat Festival held?
- On Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, from 10:00 to 16:00 (planned), at Ishikawa Riverside Park in Habikino, Osaka.
- Q. What is the nearest station?
- Komagatani Station on the Kintetsu Minami-Osaka Line, about a 3-minute walk from the park.
- Q. Will it go ahead if it rains?
- Yes, it runs rain or shine. It may be cancelled in severe weather such as a typhoon, and some booths affected by wind and rain may close. Check the official site before you go.
- Q. What is aburakasu?
- A local food made by slowly frying beef parts such as the small intestine. In southern Osaka it has long been used in dishes like udon and okonomiyaki. You can try it at the free aburakasu hamburg tasting.
- Q. Is the festival good for children?
- Yes. There is an ennichi corner with festival games and other activities for kids, so families can spend the day there.
More weekend ideas
Planning to stay in the Osaka area for more of the weekend? The Asoview campaign with up to ¥3,000 off spots such as Harukas 300 can cut the cost of your next stop. For other festivals and events this autumn, see our guides to the Musashino Art University Festival and the Shibaura Canal Festival. And if free food deals are what you are after, the Taiyo no Tomato Men free ramen festival is another one to check out.
Information as of October 16, 2026, based on the organizers’ announcement (press release). The details may change, so please check the official site for the latest updates.