Yonezawa, a castle town in southern Yamagata known for its Uesugi clan history and the scenery at the foot of the Azuma mountains, is setting up a two-day food fair inside JR Kinshicho Station. The event is called the Yonezawa Nmai-mon Festival (米沢んまいもん祭), and nmai-mon is local dialect for tasty food.
The main draw is same-day produce: fruit and food from the Yonezawa area are shipped to Tokyo by shinkansen in the morning and go on sale at the station a few hours later. On top of that, there is a free gift for shoppers, tastings of two new local specialties, a visit from the mayor and a samurai performance outside the station.
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)Dates, hours and venue
Note that the two days have different hours: Sunday opens and closes an hour earlier than Saturday.
| Event | Yamagata Yonezawa City × TERMINA: Yonezawa Nmai-mon Festival |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sat, Oct 31, 2026: 11:00–18:00 Sun, Nov 1, 2026: 10:00–17:00 |
| Venue | TERMINA Switch, the event space in front of the JR Kinshicho Station South Gate (TERMINA 1F) |
| Address | 3-14-5 Kotobashi, Sumida-ku, Tokyo |
| Payment | Cash, credit cards, e-money, barcode payments |
| Organizer | Yonezawa City, Yamagata Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. |
| Official page | TERMINA event page |
The announcement does not mention an admission fee. The space sits right at the station gate, so you can drop in on the way through. The fair is part of TERMINA JOURNEY, a regional partnership program run by Kinshicho Station Building, the company behind the TERMINA shopping building.
Since cards are accepted, this is an easy place to use a Japanese credit card. If you do not have one yet, see our guide to which credit card foreigners in Japan should get first. Barcode payments are also accepted, but the announcement does not say which apps, so check at the counter.
Same-day produce by shinkansen
The produce comes from the Okitama area around Yonezawa and travels on Hakobyun (はこビュン), JR East’s express cargo service that carries packages on regular shinkansen trains. Boxes leave Yonezawa Station and are scheduled to reach Kinshicho Station around 11:30–12:00 on both days.
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)This part of the fair is organized by an Okitama regional alliance that campaigns for Ou Shinkansen improvements and a new Yonezawa–Fukushima tunnel. Four items are planned:
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)Free salami gift for shoppers
Spend ¥2,500 or more (tax included) at the fair and you can get a stick of salami made with Yonezawa beef (米沢牛入りサラミ). It goes to the first 50 customers on each day and ends when stock runs out.
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)Tastings, the mayor and a travel desk
Free samples of two new local specialties
- Zasso Cola (雑草コーラ): a craft cola syrup made from Yonezawa-grown ukogi (a local shrub used as food) and spices. You mix it with soda water. The name means ‘weed cola’, a nod to the local spirit of resilience, like a weed that keeps growing.
- Akiramenai Kokoro Okoshi (あきらめない心おこし): bite-size puffed rice sweets inspired by Uesugi Yozan, Yonezawa’s famous 9th-generation lord and his never-give-up spirit. They use Uesugi Sekiden rice grown in Yonezawa.
If you like them, both are sold through the Jiriki Hongan Yonezawa online shop.
Mayor Kondo at the counter (Saturday only)
Yonezawa’s Mayor Kondo plans to stand at the fair and promote local food himself, starting around 11:30 on Saturday, October 31. More about the mayor is on the city’s official mayor page.
Image: Kinshicho Station Building Co., Ltd. (from a PR TIMES press release)Trip ideas from JTB on the 5th floor
The JTB Kinshicho TERMINA branch on TERMINA 5F is suggesting model routes around Yonezawa and Takahata, including a one-night, two-day course. Handy if a taste of the food makes you want to visit. For more travel deals, see our roundup of Asoview discounts on leisure spots.
Samurai performance at the south exit
As a bonus, the Yamagata Ai no Bushotai (やまがた愛の武将隊), Yamagata Prefecture’s official samurai performance troupe, formed in 2010 and based in Yonezawa, will perform in the station square outside the south exit.
- Both days at 11:00 and 15:00
- About 20–30 minutes per show
- Cancelled in rain
Timetable and how to plan your visit
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 11:00 | Fair opens / samurai show (1st) | TERMINA Switch / South exit square |
| Sat ~11:30 | Mayor Kondo at the fair | TERMINA Switch |
| Sat 11:30–12:00 | Shinkansen produce arrives (planned) | TERMINA Switch |
| Sat 15:00 | Samurai show (2nd) | South exit square |
| Sat 18:00 | Fair closes | TERMINA Switch |
| Sun 10:00 | Fair opens | TERMINA Switch |
| Sun 11:00 | Samurai show (1st) | South exit square |
| Sun 11:30–12:00 | Shinkansen produce arrives (planned) | TERMINA Switch |
| Sun 15:00 | Samurai show (2nd) | South exit square |
| Sun 17:00 | Fair closes | TERMINA Switch |
If you are filling your weekend, the Musashino Art University Festival is another event worth a look this season. And if Yonezawa food wins you over, furusato nozei is a way to support a town you like and receive local products in return. Check our guide for the October rule changes first.
FAQ
- Q. When and where is the Yonezawa food fair in Kinshicho?
- Saturday, October 31 from 11:00 to 18:00 and Sunday, November 1 from 10:00 to 17:00, at TERMINA Switch in front of the JR Kinshicho Station South Gate (TERMINA 1F).
- Q. How do I get the free Yonezawa beef salami?
- Spend ¥2,500 or more (tax included) at the fair. It goes to the first 50 customers each day and ends when stock runs out.
- Q. Can I pay by card?
- Yes. Cash, credit cards, e-money and barcode payments are accepted.
- Q. What time does the shinkansen produce arrive?
- It is scheduled to arrive around 11:30 to 12:00 on both days.
- Q. When does the samurai troupe perform?
- At 11:00 and 15:00 on both days in the station square outside the south exit, for about 20 to 30 minutes each. Shows are cancelled in rain.
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