A free one-night food market with 18 independent shops
Odawara is hosting a one-night food market called Odawara Bishoku Club Kuban Yoichi (小田原美食倶楽部 玖番夜市) on Friday 16 October 2026. It runs from 15:00 to 21:00 at Odawara Castle Ninomaru Square (小田原城 二の丸広場), and entry is free. You pay only for what you eat and drink at each stall.
The idea behind it is simple: bring together small, owner-run restaurants and bars that care about their food but are not yet widely known, and give people a reason to visit Odawara just to eat. Below you will find the basics, the full shop list, the suggested food and drink pairings, and a few things worth checking before you head out.
Kuban Yoichi at a glance
| Event | Odawara Bishoku Club Kuban Yoichi |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday 16 October 2026 |
| Time | 15:00–21:00 |
| Venue | Odawara Castle Ninomaru Square (map) |
| Entry | Free (food and drinks are paid at each stall) |
| Shops | 18 shops and more, from Odawara, Isehara, Oyama, Hiratsuka, Chigasaki and the wider Seisho area |
| Organizer | Tonarino (トナリノ -小さな事業の相談室-), co-hosted by UDCOD |
| Updates | Instagram @oda_bi_marche |
What kind of event is this?
Kuban Yoichi is organized by Odawara Bishoku Club, a project that wants to connect diners with small food businesses whose work deserves more attention. The organizers say they did not choose shops for being famous or big. They chose shops that keep refining their own idea of good food: picking ingredients, testing recipes again and again, and sharpening their skills.
The name has a local story too. Kuban means number nine, and Odawara was the ninth of the 53 post towns on the old Tokaido road. In the Edo period it was a busy town of merchants and craftspeople, and the organizers see today’s independent shop owners as carrying on that tradition.
The club’s starting point, they say, was pairing local Odawara venison with wine and discovering how much a cooking method or a drink can change a familiar ingredient. For them, fine food is not about price. It is about knowing the ingredient, knowing the person who made it, and finding a taste you did not know before.
Food and drink: what to expect
The range is wide for an 18-shop market. On the food side you can expect modern Japanese curry, lu rou fan (Taiwanese braised pork rice), skewers of venison, wild boar and bear, pho, charcoal-grilled yakitori, Hong Kong dim sum, burgers and tacos. Drinks cover craft beer, whisky, wine, sherry, Taiwanese tea and specialty coffee.
One detail makes this more than a regular food fair: every shop was asked to create a dish just for this night using ingredients from the Seisho and western Kanagawa area. The same local ingredient can turn out very differently in the hands of different cooks, so it is worth trying more than one stall.
All 18 shops and what they serve
| Shop | What they bring |
|---|---|
| NEW ROSE | Modern Japanese curry layered with dashi and spices |
| TAWATAWA STAND | Lu rou fan and Oyama tofu rice |
| Japan Multi Hunters (ジャパンマルチハンターズ) | Grilled skewers of venison, wild boar and bear |
| Winebar Le3 | Wine, mainly Georgian, and sherry |
| Soraya (そら屋) | Pho, bun and fresh spring rolls |
| Sayakaachan Shokudo (さやかぁちゃん食堂) | Spice curry with no added MSG, gluten-free |
| Desture | Natural-yeast bread and craft beer brewed in Yaga |
| UNDER BURGER | Burgers |
| Homie Kitchen | Chimichangas, taco rice and more |
| KOINOBORI | Hong Kong dim sum and rice dishes |
| BAR MIZUNARA | Whisky and other drinks |
| BEER STAND STOCK | Craft beer from around Japan |
| REPUB | Taiwanese tea and spirits |
| Tsukiichi Yakitori Bo (月壱焼鳥-坊-) | Charcoal-grilled yakitori |
| Green Lantern | Tacos with handmade tortillas |
| Bonappetit | Homemade almond butter |
| Anbos Coffee | House-roasted specialty coffee |
| HIRA Soba (HIRA蕎麦) | Desserts by a soba maker |
The organizers list the lineup as 18 shops and more, so additional vendors may appear on the day. Exact menus and prices for each stall were not in the announcement.
Food and drink pairings to try
A sommelier and a bartender will be on site, and the organizers are actively suggesting combinations across different stalls. The idea is to pick a dish at one shop, then walk over to another for a drink that goes with it. Here are the examples they gave:
| Food | Suggested drink |
|---|---|
| Yakitori | Highball |
| Hong Kong dim sum | Craft beer |
| Game meat | Whisky |
| Spice curry | A full-bodied white wine |
| Lu rou fan | Sherry |
| Pho | Georgian amber wine |
If you are going with friends, splitting up to grab a dish and a matching drink from different stalls is an easy way to cover more of the market.
After dark: activities for families
The market is not only about eating. In the evening the organizers plan a night soap bubble show, a giant jenga made from Odawara wood, and a Turkish lamp workshop. They say the event has been designed so that families with children can enjoy it too.
Tips before you go
- It is a Friday. The market opens at 15:00, so if you work during the day you can still arrive for dinner. The night activities happen after dark.
- Check payment options. The announcement does not say whether stalls take cash, cards or QR payments. Carrying some cash is the safe choice. If you are still deciding which card to use day to day, see our guide to credit cards in Japan for foreigners.
- Follow the Instagram for updates. Menus, prices, weather changes and activity details are most likely to appear on @oda_bi_marche.
- Plan the rest of your autumn. If you enjoy free local events, our guides to the Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks and the Shibaura Canal Festival cover more days out. For cheap rail trips this season, take a look at the Aki no Norihodai Pass.
FAQ
- Q. Is entry to Kuban Yoichi free?
- Yes. Entry is free. You pay for food, drinks and activities separately, and prices were not listed in the announcement.
- Q. When does the market open and close?
- It runs from 15:00 to 21:00 on Friday 16 October 2026.
- Q. Where is it held?
- At Odawara Castle Ninomaru Square in Odawara. The organizer has shared a Google Maps link to the venue.
- Q. Is it a good event for children?
- The organizer says it is designed for families too, with a night soap bubble show, a giant jenga made from Odawara wood and a Turkish lamp workshop planned.
- Q. What does the 2,500 yen in the announcement cover?
- The announcement mentions 2,500 yen next to the activities but does not say what it pays for. Check the official Instagram before you go.
- Q. Can I pay by card at the stalls?
- Payment methods were not listed in the announcement. Bring some cash and check the official Instagram for updates.
Official sources: press release (PR TIMES) · event PDF · Instagram @oda_bi_marche · venue map