Mizkan’s feel-good food stall
Had a rough week? Condiment maker Mizkan wants to make it better with food. For four days in October, the company is setting up a pop-up food stall in Harajuku called Zenkotei! Hekomeshi Yatai (全肯定！凹メシ屋台). The name roughly means a stall that fully accepts you and serves comfort food for when you feel down.
The good news for your wallet: entry is free, the rice bowls are free, and the drinks are free. There is also a prize draw where every entry wins something. The catch is that the bowls are distributed on a numbered-ticket basis, and service ends once they run out, so timing matters.
Key facts at a glance
| Event | Zenkotei! Hekomeshi Yatai (5th event in Mizkan’s Hekomeshi project) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Fri, Oct 9 to Mon, Oct 12, 2026 (Oct 12 is a public holiday) |
| Hours | Oct 9: 12:00–19:00 Oct 10–12: 11:00–19:00 |
| Venue | WITH HARAJUKU |
| Address | 1-14-30 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo |
| Entry | Free |
| Food | Numbered tickets, while supplies last |
| Rain | Goes ahead in rain |
| Organizer | Mizkan Co., Ltd. (株式会社Mizkan) |
Note that the first day opens an hour later than the other three. If you are planning around a weekday lunch break, Friday starts at noon.
What you get for free
There are three rice bowls on the menu, each built around a Mizkan seasoning. You are matched to one based on how you like to cheer yourself up (more on that below), so you do not pick freely from all three.
| Rice bowl | Seasoning used |
|---|---|
| Thin-sliced pork, yurinchi style (豚こま油淋鶏丼) | Kantan-su (カンタン酢) |
| Chicken breast khao man gai (鶏むね肉のカオマンガイ丼) | Kantan-su |
| Tangy simmered chicken thigh (鶏もも肉のさっぱり煮丼) | Ajipon (味ぽん) |
To drink, you get Fruity-su (フルーティス), Mizkan’s fruit juice and vinegar refresher. Four flavors are available: Shine Muscat grape, Amaou strawberry, white peach and pomegranate.
If you like what you taste, Mizkan has product pages for Kantan-su, Ajipon and Fruity-su (Japanese only).
How a visit works, step by step
This is not a grab-and-go sampling booth. The stall is set up as a short experience, and the food comes in the middle of it.
- Read the Hekomi Board, a wall of low-moment stories left by other visitors.
- Write down one of your own and pin it to the board that matches your way of bouncing back.
- Receive a sticker that affirms whatever got you down.
- Eat the rice bowl and drink the Fruity-su matched to your type.
- Take a photo at the mirror by the exit.
- Post your photo on social media to enter the prize draw.
The writing step is in Japanese by default. Nothing in the official information says you must write in Japanese, but if reading the board is hard, a quick translation app on your phone will help you join in.
The no-lose prize draw
The draw is called Hekomeshi Kuji (凹メシくじ), and there are no blanks. To enter, take a photo at the venue and post it on X, Instagram or TikTok with both of these:
- Hashtag: #全肯定凹メシ屋台
- Mention: @mizkan_official
Each entry gets one of the following:
- A mini bottle of Ajipon
- A mini bottle of Kantan-su
- A mini bottle of Kaori no Kura (かおりの蔵)
- A can of Fruity-su vinegar sour, co-developed with Mitsubishi Shokuhin
Tips before you go
- Earlier is safer for food. The bowls use numbered tickets and end when they are gone. Mizkan has not published how many are available per day, so plan to arrive while things are still quiet rather than just before closing.
- Tell staff about allergies. Mizkan asks anyone with food allergies to let the staff know on site.
- Rain does not cancel it. The event runs in wet weather. Only a major disaster would lead Mizkan to reconsider whether to hold the event.
- Keep your phone charged. You need it for the social post that enters the draw.
- Check for updates. Details such as the number of tickets available were not in the announcement, so look at Mizkan’s official pages before heading out.
What is the Hekomeshi project?
Hekomu (凹む) is everyday Japanese for feeling down or deflated, and meshi means a meal. The project started from Mizkan employees who believe a good meal can lift someone who is having a hard time and help them take the next step. It is led by an internal team with the playful name of the Not-Down Section (凹んでない課), which runs well-being initiatives inside and outside the company.
This Harajuku stall is the project’s fifth event. You can read more on the official Hekomeshi website (Japanese).
More free and cheap things to pair with it
A free lunch is a good excuse to plan a low-cost day out. After Harajuku, a soak at a neighborhood bathhouse is hard to beat, and the Tokyo sento half-price coupon brings entry down to ¥300 at hundreds of bathhouses.
If you enjoy brand events with a feel-good angle, GODIVA’s Buy One Share One campaign works in a similar spirit. Collectors may also want the free Chiikawa tote on the Tokaido Shinkansen.
Coming to Tokyo from further away for the long weekend? Compare the Aki no Norihodai Pass for JR local trains with JR East’s discounted Shinkansen fares before you book.
FAQ
- Q. Is the Hekomeshi Yatai really free?
- Yes. Entry is free, and the three rice bowls and four Fruity-su drinks are served at no charge. The bowls use a numbered-ticket system and end when they run out.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- Friday, October 9, 2026 runs from 12:00 to 19:00. Saturday, October 10 through Monday, October 12 (a public holiday) runs from 11:00 to 19:00.
- Q. Where is the event held?
- At WITH HARAJUKU, 1-14-30 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.
- Q. How do I enter the Hekomeshi Kuji prize draw?
- Post a photo taken at the venue on X, Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #全肯定凹メシ屋台 and the mention @mizkan_official. Every entry wins a Mizkan item while stocks last.
- Q. Can anyone get the vinegar sour can?
- No. The Fruity-su vinegar sour can is only for people aged 20 and over, and staff check your age when handing it over. The other prizes are mini bottles of Ajipon, Kantan-su or Kaori no Kura.
- Q. Will the event be cancelled if it rains?
- No. It goes ahead in the rain. If a major disaster occurs, Mizkan will decide whether to open based on the situation.
- Q. What should I do if I have a food allergy?
- Tell the staff at the venue. For general product questions, contact the Mizkan Group customer consultation center.
Official links
- Press release on PR TIMES (Japanese)
- Mizkan news releases (Japanese)
- Hekomeshi project website (Japanese)
- Mizkan Group customer consultation center (Japanese)
All details in this guide come from Mizkan’s announcement of September 17, 2026. Arrangements can change, so please confirm the latest information on the official pages before visiting.