Hokkaido Food Fair at Kintetsu Wakayama: Dates, Must-Buys and Tips

Hokkaido sweets, ramen and seafood bento are heading to Wakayama for two weeks. Kintetsu Department Store Wakayama (近鉄百貨店和歌山店) is running its Autumn Hokkaido Grand Fair (秋の北海道大物産展) in the 5th-floor event hall from Wednesday, October 28 to Tuesday, November 10, 2026.

The catch: the fair is split into two phases, and many of the headline items are only sold in one of them. What you can buy depends on which week you go. Below you will find the schedule, the lineup for each phase with prices, the daily quantity limits, and when the ¥1,080 bento go on sale. Everything here is based on the store’s press release published on October 22, 2026.

Dates, hours and venue at a glance

Note the two shorter days. The last day of each phase closes early, so an after-work visit on November 3 or November 10 will not work. If you are still sorting out how to pay for everyday shopping in Japan, our guide on which credit card foreigners in Japan should get first is a good place to start.

Phase 1 or Phase 2: which week to go

Some sweets are on sale for all 14 days, but the hot food changes completely at the halfway point. Here is the quick version.

Snow Cheese, the LeTAO sundae, the Chelsea caramel sandwiches and bags, and the Sapporo Kanikosen crab bento run through both phases.

Sweets sold for the whole fair

These are the gift-friendly items, and most of them come with a daily cap. Snow Cheese (スノーチーズ) from Sapporo is making its first appearance at any Kintetsu store.

LeTAO (小樽洋菓子舗ルタオ) from Otaru is bringing a sundae made on site, a first for this fair.

The Hokkaido Nama Shokkan Chelsea (北海道生食感チェルシー) line, a soft take on the classic Chelsea candy, is one of the most talked-about items in the release and has the tightest per-person limits.

Phase 1 highlights (Oct 28 – Nov 3)

Phase 1 is the week for ramen and rice bowls. Snaffle’s (函館洋菓子スナッフルス) from Hakodate is selling a Chelsea omelette cake that is new to the fair and only sold in this phase.

Ramen Shingen (ら~めん信玄) from Sapporo serves bowls in the eat-in corner, with only 50 a day. If ramen deals are your thing, see also our post on the Taiyo no Tomato Men free ramen coupon festival.

Japanese shop names: Hokudo is 蝦夷前そばと豚丼 北堂, Yuki Usagi Bakery is 雪うさぎベーカリー.

Phase 2 highlights (Nov 4 – Nov 10)

Phase 2 swaps in a Kintetsu-exclusive crab tempura bowl and an apple pie booth with a famous face. Kazuyoshi Funaki, ski jumping gold medalist at the Nagano Olympics, is listed in the release at the Ousama no Kobo (王様の工房) booth, visiting and selling every day.

Japanese shop names: Suzukake is ふらの和食 すずかけ, Dolce Vita de Bomba is ドルチェヴィータDEボンバ.

The ¥1,080 bento: times and limits

Every day, seafood and meat bento from popular shops are sold at a flat ¥1,080 each, in two batches. Quantities are small, so timing matters more than anything else.

The release lists these as examples of the lineup:

Japanese shop names: すし処 雑魚亭 (Zakotei) and 札幌蟹工船 (Sapporo Kanikosen).

Tips for getting the limited items

• Pick your phase first. Ramen, the pork rice bowl and the Chelsea omelette are Phase 1. The crab tempura bowl and the Funaki apple pie booth are Phase 2.
• Go at opening for anything with a daily cap. The ramen and crab tempura bowl are 50 a day, the Chelsea caramel sandwich is 60 a day, and the morning bento batch is 30 each.
• The 16:00 bento batch is your second chance, except on November 3 and November 10, when there is none.
• For the cheapest apple pie, aim for Friday, November 6. Only 30 whole pies are sold at the special price.
• Mind the per-person limits on Chelsea items and bento if you are shopping for friends.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Kansai and want to make a day of it, our post on the Asoview campaign with discounts at Harukas 300 and more covers other ways to save on outings. And if two weeks of Hokkaido food is not enough, regional produce such as crab is popular through furusato nozei; check what changed in the furusato nozei rules before you donate.

FAQ

Q. When is the Hokkaido fair at Kintetsu Wakayama?

From October 28 to November 10, 2026, in the 5th-floor event hall. Phase 1 runs October 28 to November 3, and Phase 2 runs November 4 to November 10.

Q. What time does the fair open and close?

Normally 10:00 to 19:00. On November 3 the hall closes at 17:00, and on November 10 it closes at 16:00.

Q. When are the 1,080 yen bento sold?

Every day from 10:00 (30 of each) and from 16:00 (20 of each), with a limit of two per person. There is no 16:00 batch on November 3 or November 10.

Q. Which items are sold for the whole fair?

Snow Cheese, the LeTAO sundae, the Hokkaido Nama Shokkan Chelsea caramel sandwiches and bags, and the Sapporo Kanikosen crab bento are listed for the full period.

Q. When can I meet Kazuyoshi Funaki?

The release lists him at the Ousama no Kobo apple pie booth in Phase 2 (November 4 to November 10), visiting and selling daily.

Information as announced by Kintetsu Department Store on October 22, 2026.