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Free seafood tastings, ships open to visitors and a working-port setting make the Yaizu Fish Festival (焼津魚フェス) an outing worth considering for November 14–15, 2026. Both days run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the food giveaways, visiting ships and headline stage programs differ.
The fourth edition is being expanded to celebrate Yaizu’s 75th anniversary as a city. One distinction matters when planning your visit: the announcement confirms free food giveaways, but does not specify whether festival admission is free.
Dates, venue and essential details
| Dates | Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on both days |
| Venue | Special event site at Yaizu Fishing Port’s New Port, Jonokoshi Quay (焼津漁港新港 特設会場・城之腰岸壁) |
| Organizer | Yaizu City (焼津市) |
| Admission | Not stated in the announcement; check official information before visiting. |
| Weather | Cancelled in severe weather. |
The program combines local seafood sales, food stalls, stage appearances and activities related to fish and the sea. The official announcement from Yaizu City is the source for the details below.
Saturday or Sunday? Choose by food and stage program
Saturday is the day for the tuna hot pot and shark dissection demonstration. Sunday brings charcoal-grilled bonito, a show with Makoto Fukuo and the festival’s official song. Neither day’s individual performance times are given in the announcement.
| Day | Free food giveaway | Stage highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 14 | Yaizu southern bluefin tuna and leek chanko hot pot (焼津ミナミマグロねぎまちゃんこ鍋), a new startup collaboration product. Limited to the first 750 servings. | Biology writer and YouTuber Hiroshi Hirasaka (平坂寛): talk and Deadline Quiz (デッドラインクイズ). Yaizu goodwill ambassador Hasegawa (長谷川久志): a dissection demonstration featuring an approximately 20 kg deep-sea shark (イチハラビロードザメ). |
| Sunday, November 15 | Freshly charcoal-grilled bonito. Limited to the first 750 servings. | Makoto Fukuo (福尾誠), the 12th exercise leader known as taisō no onīsan: Asobima Showtime! (あそびまショータイム！). Yaizu downtown music ambassador Eisaku Matsuda (松田栄作): performance of the festival’s official image song, Song of Hope (希望の歌). |
Ships, seafood stalls and nearby festival activities
Three vessels are included in the public-opening program across the weekend. The training ship is scheduled for both days, while the patrol and research vessels appear on different dates.
| Vessel | Organization | Public opening |
|---|---|---|
| Training ship Yaizu (やいづ) | Prefectural Yaizu Fisheries High School (県立焼津水産高校) | Both days |
| Patrol vessel Fuji (ふじ) | Shimizu Coast Guard Office (清水海上保安部) | November 14 |
| Research vessel Suruga Maru (駿河丸) | Prefectural Fisheries and Marine Technology Research Institute (県水産・海洋技術研究所) | November 15 |
Food and retail stalls will focus on Yaizu seafood products. Two other events are also being held alongside the festival:
| Event | Named organization |
|---|---|
| SHIDA Marché (SHIDAマルシェ) | Shinkin Chubu Odando Connect (しんきん中部横断道コネクト) |
| Yaizu Regional Agricultural Cooperative Festival (焼津地域農協祭) | Oigawa Agricultural Cooperative (大井川農業協同組合) |
What to check before travelling
The announcement does not provide a full street address, station-to-venue directions, parking arrangements or an individual program timetable. Before setting off, check the latest official information for those details, admission charges, ship-entry arrangements and any weather-related cancellation.
If you expect to use your phone for maps throughout the day, our d VALUE PASS and ChargeSPOT guide covers a power-bank rental option to research in advance. Rental availability at the festival is not confirmed.
For broader rail-trip budgeting, see our JRE BANK guide; check route eligibility separately rather than assuming its benefits cover this journey. If you are comparing cultural outings with a seafood festival, our Ghibli Park exhibition guide is another starting point for checking dates and locations.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Yaizu Fish Festival free to enter?
- The announcement does not state an admission fee or confirm free entry. It specifically confirms free food giveaways limited to the first 750 servings on each day.
- Are the same ships open on both days?
- No. The training ship Yaizu is scheduled for both days, the patrol vessel Fuji for November 14, and the research vessel Suruga Maru for November 15.
- When do the free food giveaways start?
- The distribution times and any numbered-ticket arrangements are not stated. Check the latest official information before visiting.
- Will the festival go ahead in bad weather?
- The festival will be cancelled in severe weather. Check official updates before travelling.
Based on Yaizu City’s announcement published October 28, 2026. Information reviewed for this article on October 29, 2026.
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