When is the Iwayado HOTARU food event?

It runs from November 14 to November 23, 2026.

What time are food sales?

Food sales are scheduled from 11:00 a.m. until around 8:00 p.m. Hours may change depending on weather and sales conditions.

The venue is Nikka Park Iwayado HOTARU, at 72 Iwayacho, Seto, Aichi, Japan.

Are the food sales hours also the illumination hours?

The 11:00 a.m.–around 8:00 p.m. schedule applies to food sales. Check official updates for illumination times.

Which game meats are available?

The menu includes a wild boar sausage and a venison sausage, offered in collaboration with Okazaki Gibier Butchery Kami no Tsukai.

What kind of sweet potato is served?

The event serves Beni Haruka sweet potatoes, cooked at low temperature for at least 90 minutes and finished over charcoal.

What is in the pork soup?

Fukusuke’s original recipe uses root vegetables, sliced pork belly and dashi.

Do visitors toast the marshmallows themselves?

Yes. Visitors toast a large marshmallow themselves using a fire pit at HOTARU.

Iwayado Autumn Light-Up: Food, Dates and Venue

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Key takeawaysNikka Park Iwayado HOTARU in Seto, Aichi, serves autumn food from November 14 to 23, 2026, during the Iwayado Park foliage illuminations. Sales run from 11:00 a.m. to around 8:00 p.m., with wild boar and venison sausages, charcoal-finished Beni Haruka sweet potatoes, pork soup and marshmallows you toast over a fire pit. Hours and menu may shift with weather and sales conditions.

Autumn leaves, warm food and a fireside snack: Nikka Park Iwayado HOTARU (Nikka Park 岩屋堂蛍-HOTARU-) in Seto, Aichi, will hold a food event from November 14 to 23, 2026, timed to coincide with the autumn foliage illuminations at Iwayado Park (岩屋堂公園).

Food sales run from 11:00 a.m. until around 8:00 p.m. The menu includes wild boar and venison sausages, sweet potatoes finished over charcoal, pork soup and marshmallows you toast yourself.

Food event announcement featuring game sausages, autumn leaves and a red bridge at Iwayado Park — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

Plan around the right hours: 11:00 a.m.–around 8:00 p.m. is the food sales schedule. For illumination times and admission information, check the organizer’s official announcement and official Iwayado Fukusuke updates.

Dates, hours and exact venue

The event takes place at HOTARU, the riverside BBQ facility within Nikka Park Iwayado. It brings food sales to the park during the autumn illumination period, with service starting in the daytime and continuing into the evening.

Dates	November 14–23, 2026
Food sales hours	11:00 a.m.–around 8:00 p.m.
Venue	Nikka Park Iwayado HOTARU
Address	72 Iwayacho, Seto, Aichi, Japan
Organizer	Nikka Home Co., Ltd. (ニッカホーム株式会社)
Schedule changes	Hours and menu offerings may change depending on weather and sales conditions.

Use the HOTARU address when planning your visit. The food event is at 72 Iwayacho. Fukusuke, the separate former inn involved in the wider regeneration project, is at a different address.

What to eat

The menu combines game meat with warm autumn snacks. Here is what each option offers, so you can decide what to try before arriving.

Menu item	What to expect
Wild boar sausage	A game sausage made with wild boar meat.
Venison sausage	A separate game sausage made with deer meat.
Charcoal-finished sweet potato	Beni Haruka sweet potato, cooked slowly for at least 90 minutes and finished over charcoal.
Fukusuke pork soup	An original recipe combining root vegetables, sliced pork belly and dashi.
Toasted marshmallow	A large marshmallow you toast yourself using a fire pit at the venue.

Wild boar and venison sausages

Official poster showing the venison and wild boar sausages offered at the HOTARU food event — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

The sausages are offered in collaboration with Okazaki Gibier Butchery Kami no Tsukai (岡崎ジビエ精肉所神の使い). Choose between wild boar and venison; these are two distinct menu items.

The collaboration also introduces the role of game meat in using animals captured as part of wildlife damage control. Nikka Home plans to continue serving game meat at HOTARU beyond this event, connecting the food offering with the surrounding region’s natural resources.

Slow-cooked Beni Haruka sweet potatoes

Official poster showing a split charcoal-finished Beni Haruka sweet potato — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

The sweet potatoes get a long, gentle cook before their charcoal finish. Beni Haruka is the variety used, with at least 90 minutes of low-temperature cooking to bring out its sweetness.

Pork soup with root vegetables

Fukusuke’s original pork soup brings together root vegetables, sliced pork belly and dashi. It adds a warm, savory option alongside the sausages and sweet snacks.

Toast your own marshmallow

Official poster showing a large skewered marshmallow being toasted over a fire — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

The marshmallow option includes something to do as well as something to eat: you toast it yourself at a fire pit installed at HOTARU. The intended finish is a browned exterior with a soft, melted center.

For another seasonal menu to explore, see our Yakiniku King Hokkaido Fair guide.

Autumn leaves and evening views

A red-railed bridge surrounded by autumn foliage at Iwayado Park — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

The food event shares its November 14–23 dates with the park’s autumn foliage illumination period. During the day, the setting is about the river, trees and autumn colors; after dark, illuminated foliage changes the view.

Illuminated autumn leaves and a bridge reflected in the water at Iwayado Park at night — Image: Nikka Home Co., Ltd., via its PR TIMES press release.

Keep the food service schedule separate from your plans for the lights. Check the venue’s official updates before setting out, as weather and sales conditions can affect hours and what is served.

For everyday food options on other outings, our guides to Denny’s Japan Black Friday offer and 7-Eleven Japan’s featured ice cream and dessert releases cover separate food promotions.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Iwayado HOTARU food event?: It runs from November 14 to November 23, 2026.
What time are food sales?: Food sales are scheduled from 11:00 a.m. until around 8:00 p.m. Hours may change depending on weather and sales conditions.
Where is the venue?: The venue is Nikka Park Iwayado HOTARU, at 72 Iwayacho, Seto, Aichi, Japan.
Are the food sales hours also the illumination hours?: The 11:00 a.m.–around 8:00 p.m. schedule applies to food sales. Check official updates for illumination times.
Which game meats are available?: The menu includes a wild boar sausage and a venison sausage, offered in collaboration with Okazaki Gibier Butchery Kami no Tsukai.
What kind of sweet potato is served?: The event serves Beni Haruka sweet potatoes, cooked at low temperature for at least 90 minutes and finished over charcoal.
What is in the pork soup?: Fukusuke’s original recipe uses root vegetables, sliced pork belly and dashi.
Do visitors toast the marshmallows themselves?: Yes. Visitors toast a large marshmallow themselves using a fire pit at HOTARU.

Source: Nikka Home’s official announcement, published November 11, 2026.