When is the 2026 Oarai Anko Festival?

Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 9:30am to 3pm. Saturday the 14th hosts the Oarai Autumn Festival.

How do I get monkfish soup at the Oarai Anko Festival?

Get a numbered ticket first. Tickets are handed out from 10am, and soup sales start at 11am.

How much is the monkfish soup at Oarai?

It's advertised at ¥300 per bowl, with 1,000 servings. The price covers the soup only, not admission.

Is there free parking at the Oarai Anko Festival?

Yes. Municipal Parking Lot No. 1 and Oarai Sun Beach Parking Lot are free, with space for 5,000 vehicles.

Oarai Anko Festival: ¥300 Soup, Tickets and Access

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Key takeawaysOarai’s festival weekend runs November 14–15, 2026, from 9:30am to 3pm on the lawn in front of Oarai Marine Tower, with the Anko Festival on Sunday. The ¥300 monkfish soup requires a numbered ticket, handed out from 10am before sales start at 11am, and 1,000 servings are advertised. Free parking holds 5,000 vehicles, and the venue is about a 15-minute walk from Oarai Station.

Heading to Oarai for monkfish soup? The key time is 10am, when numbered tickets are distributed. Soup sales start at 11am, with 1,000 servings advertised at ¥300 per bowl.

The festival weekend runs on November 14–15, 2026, on the lawn in front of Oarai Marine Tower. Saturday is the Oarai Autumn Festival, a local business appreciation event (大洗秋まつり商工感謝祭), followed by the Oarai Anko Festival (大洗あんこう祭) on Sunday. Both days run from 9:30am to 3pm.

Oarai Anko Festival poster featuring a monkfish illustration, waves and November 14–15 dates — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp).

Check the official festival announcement for the latest visitor information.

How to buy the ¥300 monkfish soup

Anko is monkfish, and the festival’s soup is a straightforward way to try it. You need a numbered ticket to purchase a bowl; if you show up only when sales begin, you will have missed out on tickets.

Time or detail	What to know
10am	Numbered tickets are distributed.
11am	Monkfish soup sales begin.
Price	¥300 per bowl.
Advertised quantity	1,000 servings.

If soup is your priority: plan around the 10am ticket distribution. The ¥300 price is for a bowl of soup, not an admission ticket.

A crowd watches a hanging monkfish cutting demonstration near Oarai Marine Tower — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). A monkfish cutting demonstration pictured on the festival page.

Food stalls also serve dishes made with monkfish and other seafood, so there is more to browse beyond the soup sale.

Dates, venue and organizers

Saturday, November 14, 2026	Oarai Autumn Festival Commerce and Industry Appreciation Festival.
Sunday, November 15, 2026	Oarai Anko Festival.
Hours	9:30am–3pm on both days.
Venue	Lawn in front of Oarai Marine Tower (大洗マリンタワー前芝生広場).
Address	10 Minatochuo, Oarai Town, Higashiibaraki District (東茨城郡大洗町港中央10番地).
Organizers	Oarai Festival Executive Committee, within Oarai Town Hall’s Commerce and Tourism Division (大洗のまつり実行委員会〈大洗町役場商工観光課内〉), and Oarai Town Society of Commerce and Industry (大洗町商工会).
Official information	Festival announcement, programs and maps.

Daily programs and venue maps

Use the program and layout for the day you are visiting. Both days have stage events and stalls, while Sunday also has a pedestrian-only zone on the shopping streets.

Saturday: commerce and industry appreciation festival

The official Saturday program below lists the stage schedule. Keep the matching venue map handy to locate the stage and stalls.

Japanese stage timetable for the November 14 commerce and industry appreciation festival, running from 9:30am to 3pm — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Saturday’s stage program, in Japanese.

November 14 festival venue map showing the positions of stalls and the stage — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Saturday’s venue layout, in Japanese.

Sunday: Oarai Anko Festival

Sunday’s program has its own stage timetable and venue layout. The map also marks the monkfish hot-pot area.

Japanese stage timetable for the November 15 Oarai Anko Festival, running from 9:30am to 3pm — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Sunday’s stage program, in Japanese.

November 15 Oarai Anko Festival venue map with stalls, stage and monkfish hot-pot area — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Sunday’s venue layout, in Japanese.

Trains, parking and road restrictions

By train

From Mito Station, take the Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai–Kashima Line to Oarai Station. The festival venue is approximately 15 minutes on foot from the station. If you want to buy soup, allow for that walk when planning to reach the 10am ticket distribution.

By car

From the Mito-Oarai interchange on the Kita-Kanto Expressway/Higashi-Mito Road route, follow National Route 51 toward Oarai. The drive from the interchange is approximately 10 minutes.

The listed parking options are Municipal Parking Lot No. 1 and Oarai Sun Beach Parking Lot. Both are free, and the visitor information lists capacity for 5,000 vehicles.

Map around Oarai Marine Tower with traffic restriction sections marked in red — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Check the red-marked restriction sections around the venue.

Sunday’s shopping-street restrictions run until 4pm

On November 15, the shopping streets become a pedestrian-only area. The official map marks traffic restrictions from 9am to 4pm, a different time window from the main venue’s 9:30am–3pm program. Use the marked routes when planning your arrival and departure.

Oarai shopping-street map with red traffic restriction sections for November 15 from 9am to 4pm — Image: official website (oarai-info.jp). Sunday’s shopping-street traffic restrictions.

For other outings, compare the November 7–8 LOCALGREEN FESTIVAL in Yokohama. For a separate trip farther afield, see our Nintendo Museum Zelda light-up guide, or browse the Yuchelin three-star onsen selection for a hot-spring break.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Oarai festival weekend?: It takes place on November 14–15, 2026, from 9:30am to 3pm on both days.
Which day is the Oarai Anko Festival?: The Oarai Anko Festival is on Sunday, November 15. Saturday, November 14 hosts the Oarai Autumn Festival Commerce and Industry Appreciation Festival.
How much does the monkfish soup cost?: The advertised price is ¥300 per bowl, with 1,000 servings listed.
Do I need a ticket to buy the soup?: Yes. A numbered ticket is required. Distribution starts at 10am, and soup sales begin at 11am.
Where is the main venue?: The main venue is the lawn in front of Oarai Marine Tower, at 10 Minatochuo, Oarai Town, Higashiibaraki District.
How do I get there from Mito Station?: Take the Kashima Rinkai Railway Oarai–Kashima Line to Oarai Station, then walk approximately 15 minutes to the venue.
Is free parking available?: Yes. Municipal Parking Lot No. 1 and Oarai Sun Beach Parking Lot are both listed as free parking options.
When are the shopping-street traffic restrictions?: The official shopping-street map shows restrictions on November 15 from 9am to 4pm.

Before setting out, check the official Oarai festival page for current arrangements.

Plan your next day out

See what else is on that day, that month and in the same area on our event calendar.

See November 14 on the calendar November 2026 events Ibaraki event calendar