Yakiimo is the Japanese roasted sweet potato, and every autumn it gets its own festival in Tokyo. Yakiimo Fes TOKYO 2026 (やきいもフェス TOKYO 2026) takes over the event area of Nakano Shiki no Mori Park from Friday, October 30 to Sunday, November 8, 2026. Admission is free. You pay only for what you eat, and the stalls take cashless payment only, so leave the cash at home and bring a card or a phone payment app.
Fourteen shops are taking part with around 30 dishes between them. Some keep it simple with a perfectly roasted potato. Others turn it into pizza, tacos, gratin, crêpes or soup.
Event at a glance
| Event | Yakiimo Fes TOKYO 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, October 30 – Sunday, November 8, 2026 (10 days) |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 Weekends and national holidays 10:00–19:00 |
| Venue | Nakano Shiki no Mori Park Event Area (中野四季の森公園 イベントエリア) |
| Address | 4-12 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo (東京都中野区中野4-12) |
| Access | About 8 minutes on foot from JR Nakano Station About 8 minutes on foot from Tokyo Metro Nakano Station |
| Admission | Free (food and drinks are paid separately) |
| Payment | Cashless only |
| Weather | Goes ahead rain or shine |
| Organizer | LAF Entertainment |
| Production support | SHIFT (special cooperation: eplus) |
Menu prices are not listed in the announcement. Check the official site or the boards at each stall on the day.
This year’s theme: contrasting textures
The 2026 edition is built around what the organizers call textural contrast: something hard and crunchy paired with something soft, sticky or melting. Think a crisp shell of torched sugar over a fluffy potato, or snappy white chocolate on top of chilled, custard-soft yakiimo.
The menus are also sorted into four broad styles:
- Playing with texture – dishes that stack two or three contrasting mouthfeels
- Sweet potato science – experimental creations such as parfaits, gratin and crêpes
- Crossover – sweet potato meets foreign food, like pizza and tacos
- Back to the roots – classic roasted potatoes where the variety itself is the star
Dishes worth seeking out
With around 30 options, it helps to go in with a short list. Here are the ones that stand out from the official menu descriptions. The English names are our own translations.
For a sweet tooth
Pari-toro choco imo from Oimo Cafe Minatoya, a first-time vendor: chilled yakiimo topped with a layer of white chocolate that is set until it snaps. The chocolate was developed together with a chocolate specialist.
Mont Blanc daigaku-imo from CAFE TUNE: candied Beni Haruka sweet potato, crisp outside and moist inside, layered with whipped cream and a rich roasted-potato Mont Blanc, then finished with Anno potato syrup and crunchy feuilletine.
Yakiimo cream cheese sandwich from IMOS cafestand, also new this year: yakiimo and cream cheese pressed between crisp waffle cookies. It is easy to eat while you walk.
Coffee jelly sundae from Imozo: homemade granola of thin sweet potato chips, nuts and oats baked until crunchy, served with wobbly coffee jelly. T&G kitchen also has a special parfait loaded with diced potato, candied potato, sweet potato ice cream and two kinds of paste, topped with potato chips.
Salted butter brûlée yakiimo from Imo no Su: the potato is coated in brown sugar, torched until the surface cracks, and topped with butter that melts into it.
For something savory
Honey cheese yakiimo from Imo no Su takes the shop’s popular original and piles on far more cheese, so the sweet-and-salty mix lasts to the final bite. Shiawase no Wagon’s extra-long cheese croquette wraps sweet potato and regular potato in a crisp coating and finishes it with melted cheddar.
Hibi yakiimo fries from HIBIYAKIIMO Tokyo are fried yakiimo with a choice of four seasonings: nori salt, consommé garlic, sweet potato butter or cheese onion. Kaitsuka’s fried Benitenshi yakiimo with salt uses the shop’s own potato brand. The skin turns crisp, and you eat it skin and all.
For a full meal, T&G kitchen bakes a yakiimo and cheese pizza (mozzarella or gorgonzola), and Imozo serves sweet potato tacos with purple potato pickles. If the evening turns cold, SOUP STAND has a yakiimo miso soup, a potage and a spicy Korean-style jjigae.
For purists
The super-aged Beni Haruka from The 3rd.Shibuya × Hoshiimo Noen Kawakami comes from a farm that has won a gold prize at a dried sweet potato competition. OIMOcafe offers a tasting set of three Kawagoe potatoes, with the varieties changing daily depending on the harvest. Kaitsuka has a two-variety set of its Benitenshi and Murasaki Tenshi potatoes, and Kyoto Imoya’s super honey-rich yakiimo is all about sticky, dripping sweetness.
All 14 shops and their menus
Stalls show the Japanese menu names, so the Japanese shop names are included below to help you match them up.
| Shop | Menu |
|---|---|
| Kuradashi Yakiimo Kaitsuka (蔵出し焼き芋かいつか) | Two-variety yakiimo tasting set Fried Benitenshi yakiimo, salt flavor |
| Oimo Cafe Minatoya (おいもカフェ みなと屋) First time at the festival | Sweet potato gratin Pari-toro choco imo |
| T&G kitchen | Yakiimo and rich cheese pizza (mozzarella / gorgonzola) Yakiimo special parfait |
| OIMOcafe | Freshly fried sweet potato chips Kawagoe potato premium yakiimo, three-variety tasting |
| CAFE TUNE | Kogoma balls (honey butter / plain) Akariya Beni Haruka Mont Blanc daigaku-imo |
| Roman Yakiimo Imo no Su (浪漫焼き芋 芋の巣) | Salted butter brûlée yakiimo Honey cheese yakiimo smothered in cheese |
| Shiawase no Wagon (しあわせのわごん) | Syrupy yakiimo crêpe Extra-long yakiimo cheese croquette |
| The 3rd.Shibuya × Hoshiimo Noen Kawakami (干し芋農園川上) | Super-aged Beni Haruka Aged Beni Haruka sweet potato sticks |
| Shiawase no Tsuboyaki-imo Imozo (しあわせのつぼ焼き芋 いもぞう) | Pot-roasted yakiimo coffee jelly sundae Sweet potato tacos |
| sweet&healthy SAZANKA | Shaka-shaka aged imo kenpi (fried sweet potato sticks) Aged roasted hoshiimo (dried sweet potato) |
| Hibi Yakiimo HIBIYAKIIMO Tokyo (日比焼き芋) | Hibi yakiimo fries (nori salt / consommé garlic / sweet potato butter / cheese onion) |
| Kyoto Imoya Imo to Yasai (京都芋屋 芋と野菜) | Super honey-rich yakiimo Super honey-rich sweet potato with extra butter |
| IMOS cafestand (イモスカフェスタンド) First time at the festival | Yakiimo sugar butter crêpe Yakiimo cream cheese sandwich |
| SOUP STAND | Yakiimo miso soup Yakiimo potage Spicy yakiimo jjigae |
Tips before you go
Planning more weekend outings this autumn? See our guide to the Musashino Art University Festival, and check the Asoview campaign with discounts on leisure spots if you want to add a paid attraction to the day.
FAQ
- Is entry to Yakiimo Fes TOKYO 2026 free?
- Yes. Admission is free, and food and drinks are paid for separately.
- Can I pay with cash at the festival?
- No. All purchases at the venue are cashless only, so bring a card or a phone payment app.
- What are the opening hours?
- 11:00–19:00 on weekdays and 10:00–19:00 on weekends and national holidays, from October 30 to November 8, 2026.
- Does the festival go ahead in the rain?
- Yes. It runs rain or shine.
- How do I get to the venue?
- The event area of Nakano Shiki no Mori Park is about an 8-minute walk from JR Nakano Station and about an 8-minute walk from Tokyo Metro Nakano Station.
- Are there advance tickets?
- Yes. Advance tickets are sold through the official app and eplus. Check the official website for prices and what they include.
Official links
- Yakiimo Fes TOKYO 2026 official website
- Press release from LAF Entertainment (PR TIMES, Japanese)
- Official X account @Yaki_imofes
- Official Instagram yaki_imofes