Key Takeaways: Pal System Kanagawa opens its Hiratsuka delivery center to the public on Saturday, October 17, 2026, with free entry to a morning (9:30–11:30) and an afternoon (13:00–15:00) session. Fifteen exhibitors offer tastings and sales of foods usually sold only through home delivery, plus a kids’ delivery job experience and health checks. Parking is fully reserved, so visitors need to arrive by Kanachu bus.
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa · Free entry
A grocery co-op opens its delivery center for one day
Sat, Oct 17Morning 9:30–11:30 · Afternoon 13:00–15:00Pal System Kanagawa (パルシステム神奈川), a consumer co-op that delivers groceries to its members’ homes, is holding the Hiratsuka Center Festival (平塚センターまつり) on Saturday, October 17, 2026. For one day, the public can walk into its Hiratsuka delivery center, an area that is normally off limits. Entry is free, and the program covers food tastings and sales, a delivery job experience for kids, health checks and a disaster-prep workshop.
Before you go: the parking lot is already full with reservations, so plan to arrive by bus. The festival runs in two separate sessions, morning and afternoon.
Contents
Date, sessions and entry fee
| Date | Saturday, October 17, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Morning session | 9:30–11:30 |
| Afternoon session | 13:00–15:00 |
| Venue | Pal System Kanagawa Hiratsuka Center 2108 Konabeshima, Hiratsuka (平塚市小鍋島2108) |
| Entry | Free |
| Parking | Full (reserved). Use public transport. |
Details may change, so check the official event page or the flyer (PDF, Japanese) before heading out.
What you can do at the festival
The main draw for most visitors will be the food. Fifteen exhibitors, including local producers and manufacturers, are bringing items that are normally sold only through the co-op’s home delivery service, so this is a chance to try them without signing up.
| Who it suits | What is on offer |
|---|---|
| Food lovers | Tastings and sales from 15 exhibitors. Pal System staples such as yogurt and sausages, plus vegetables and fruit |
| Kids | Delivery job experience wearing a Pal System uniform, and a kids’ license (こども免許) to take home |
| Families | Disaster-prep workshop |
| Adults | Health check corner with a walking ability test and grip strength measurement |
Prices for the items on sale have not been announced. If you are planning to stock up, bring cash and check the official page for anything about payment methods.
Getting there by bus
The center sits between two stations, and both routes end at the same bus stop:
- From Isehara Station (伊勢原駅) on the Odakyu Odawara Line: take a Kanachu bus (神奈中バス) from the South Exit.
- From Hiratsuka Station (平塚駅) on the JR Tokaido Line: take a Kanachu bus from the North Exit.
- Get off at Hirama-iriguchi (平間入口). The center is right by the stop.
Bus numbers and times were not included in the announcement, so look them up before you leave. The venue is also on Google Maps. If you are riding JR local trains a lot this autumn, our guide to the Aki no Norihodai Pass for JR local trains explains how that ticket works.
Bring milk cartons and spare food
The co-op is also using the day to show off its recycling and donation programs, and two of them are worth packing a bag for:
- Milk carton exchange: hand in milk cartons and receive Pal System’s own tissue paper in return.
- Food donation corner: drop off food you do not plan to use at home. The donations go toward helping people in need.
How many cartons you need for one pack of tissues, and which foods are accepted, were not announced. Check the official event page first so you do not carry things home again.
Looking for more free days out? See our guides to the Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks and the Shibaura Canal Festival, or end a long day cheaply with the ¥300 Tokyo sento coupon.
Who is hosting
The festival is run by Pal System Kanagawa, headquartered in Kohoku Ward, Yokohama. It had about 370,000 members as of the end of March 2026. The Hiratsuka Center is one of its delivery hubs, and the event is meant as a thank-you to members and neighbors and a way to introduce the co-op to the local area. You can find out more on the Pal System Kanagawa website or the Pal System group website.
Thinking about signing up for a grocery delivery service after the festival? It helps to have your payment basics sorted first. Our guides to credit cards for foreigners in Japan and opening a bank account in Japan cover where to start.
FAQ
- Q. Is the Hiratsuka Center Festival free?
- Yes. Entry is free for both the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Q. What are the opening hours?
- The festival runs in two sessions on Saturday, October 17, 2026: 9:30 to 11:30 in the morning and 13:00 to 15:00 in the afternoon.
- Q. Can I drive to the festival?
- No. The parking lot is already full with reservations, so the organizer asks visitors to use public transport.
- Q. How do I get there from the station?
- Take a Kanachu bus from the South Exit of Isehara Station or the North Exit of Hiratsuka Station and get off at Hirama-iriguchi. The center is right by the stop.
- Q. Do I need to be a Pal System member?
- The festival is open to members and local residents, and the co-op is using it to introduce itself to the area. Check the official event page for any conditions.
Source: Pal System press release (PR TIMES, October 2, 2026). Information is as of October 2, 2026. Please check the official page for the latest details.