Iwakuni, a city in eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture best known for the arched Kintaikyo Bridge, is setting up a three-day pop-up right underneath Tokyo Station. The event is called IWAKUNI, Marugoto TASTE (IWAKUNI、まるごとTASTE), and its tagline translates roughly as “a bite of the Iwakuni you don’t know yet” (まだ知らない岩国を、ひと口。). Iwakuni City is running it to introduce its local products and culture to people in the Tokyo area.
Walking in costs nothing. You only pay for what you eat, buy or make. Below is what you can try, what each paid activity costs, and which day to go for which program.
Dates, hours and venue
| Event | IWAKUNI, Marugoto TASTE |
|---|---|
| Dates and hours | Nov 1 (Sun) and Nov 2 (Mon), 2026: 11:00–19:00 Nov 3 (Tue, national holiday), 2026: 11:00–18:00 |
| Venue | Tokyo City i Performance Zone, KITTE B1F (directly connected to Tokyo Station) |
| Address | 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
| Admission | Free |
| Organizer | Iwakuni City |
| Official page | IWAKUNI, Marugoto TASTE event page |
Café tie-in menu (from October 21)
You don’t have to wait for November to taste something from Iwakuni. The café next to the venue, Tokyo City i CAFE by PRONTO, is serving two limited items from October 21 (Wed) to November 3 (Tue, holiday), 2026, built around two of the city’s signature crops.
¥935 (tax included)
¥550 (tax included)
What makes these two ingredients special
- Iwakuni lotus root (岩国れんこん): tender but crisp, with a pleasantly sticky bite. The flavor is mild and clean, so it works in a wide range of dishes.
- Gannen chestnut (岸根栗, がんねぐり): one of the largest Japanese chestnut varieties, with a mellow sweetness. It is harvested in areas such as Miwa-cho in Iwakuni. The harvest season is short, so even locals rarely get to buy fresh ones.
Local food and sake for sale
The sales area gathers products from across Iwakuni, suited to gifts or a little treat for yourself. Some items can be sampled before you buy.
| Type | Featured items |
|---|---|
| Snacks | Tsumande Chonmage (つまんでちょんまげ), a series of drinking snacks made with local products under Iwakuni’s unified souvenir brand |
| Sake brands | Gangi (雁木) Gokyo (五橋) Kinkan Kuromatsu (金冠黒松) Kinsuzume (金雀) Dassai (獺祭) |
| Tasting | Available for some products |
Prices for individual products have not been announced. If you enjoy hunting down regional food, our guide to the October changes to furusato nozei explains how hometown tax donations work now.
Workshops, stamp rally and photo spot
Nov 1 only: carve your own seal (tenkoku)
Tenkoku (篆刻) is the art of carving ancient seal-script characters into stone to make a personal seal. Iwakuni has a real connection to it. Dokuryu Shoeki (独立性易), a Chinese monk, left the city drawings from a book called Seiko Yuranshi (西湖遊覧志) that inspired the design of Kintaikyo, one of Japan’s three great bridges. He is also the person who spread tenkoku widely in Japan. This workshop is run with help from the Iwakuni Tenkoku Society (岩国篆刻会).
| Time | 11:00–19:00, Nov 1 (Sun) only. Ends when materials run out. |
|---|---|
| Fee | ¥3,000 (one character, 1.2 cm square) |
| Duration | About 30 minutes |
| Booking | Walk-in. You may need to wait when busy. |
| Who | Anyone. Children of elementary school age and younger need a guardian. |
Nov 3 only: make a coaster or trivet from Iwakuni wood
This one is a wood-education workshop using natural timber from Iwakuni, where you get to feel the scent and texture of the wood. The instructor, Mr. Gunjigake of Mikawa Mokko (美川木工), moved to Iwakuni from Kitakyushu in Fukuoka. Machizukuri Iwakuni (街づくり岩国), a company that supports people relocating to the city, is co-hosting, so you can also pick up information on moving to Iwakuni.
| Time | 11:00–18:00, Nov 3 (Tue, holiday) only. Ends when materials run out. |
|---|---|
| Fee | Coaster set of 2: ¥1,000 Trivet: ¥2,500 |
| Payment | Cash only at the workshop booth |
| Duration | About 30 minutes |
| Booking | Walk-in. You may need to wait when busy. |
| Who | Anyone. Children of elementary school age and younger need a guardian. |
All three days: passport stamp rally
- Collect stamps from 5 spots around the venue.
- Complete the set to get one random novelty item, such as an original sticker.
- Free to join. Limited to the first 200 people, and it ends when the stamp sheets run out.
All three days: samurai lord helmet photo spot
Put on a replica helmet of the Kikkawa family, the lords of Iwakuni, and pose in front of a backdrop of Iwakuni Castle.
Talk and quiz shows
Nov 1 from 14:00: Alexander Kawamoto talk and quiz show
Alexander Kawamoto, a dancer and TV personality from Iwakuni and an ambassador for the city’s official fan club, digs into his favorite local spots and foods. Hasu-chan, the city mascot, joins as a special guest. Five people from the audience will win prizes such as local products in a draw.
Nov 3 at 12:00 and 15:00: Hasu-chan mini quiz show
Hasu-chan (はぁすちゃん) is a lotus flower fairy and Iwakuni’s official tourism ambassador, and a hugely popular mascot back home. Quiz participants get a Hasu-chan sticker while stocks last, and you can take photos with her after the show.
Which day to go
Food, sake, the stamp rally and the photo spot run on all three days. The workshops and stage programs are tied to specific days.
| Day | Day-only programs | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 1 (Sun) 11:00–19:00 | Seal-carving workshop (11:00–19:00) Alexander Kawamoto talk and quiz (from 14:00) | Workshop ¥3,000 Show free to watch |
| Nov 2 (Mon) 11:00–19:00 | No day-only program announced. Quieter weekday for shopping and the café. | – |
| Nov 3 (Tue, holiday) 11:00–18:00 | Woodwork coaster and trivet workshop (11:00–18:00) Hasu-chan quiz show (12:00 and 15:00) | Coaster set ¥1,000 / trivet ¥2,500 (cash only) |
The stamp rally is first come, first served for 200 people across all three days, so if the novelty matters to you, go early in the event. Looking for more things to do in Tokyo this autumn? See our guides to the Musashino Art University festival and the Shibaura Canal Festival’s free canal cruises.
FAQ
- Q. Is there an entry fee?
- No. Admission is free. Food, products and workshops are paid separately.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- 11:00 to 19:00 on November 1 and 2, and 11:00 to 18:00 on November 3.
- Q. Can I try the café menu outside the event days?
- Yes. Tokyo City i CAFE by PRONTO serves the chestnut and lotus root carbonara (¥935) and the chestnut latte (¥550) from October 21 to November 3.
- Q. Do I need to book the workshops?
- No. Both workshops take walk-ins, but you may have to wait when it is busy, and each ends when materials run out.
- Q. Can children join the workshops?
- Yes. Anyone can take part, and children of elementary school age and younger need a guardian with them.
- Q. Can I pay by card at the woodwork workshop?
- No. The woodwork booth on November 3 accepts cash only.
Sources: official event page and Iwakuni City press release (October 19, 2026). Details as of October 19, 2026.