New York City’s JAPAN Fes, the Japanese food festival loved by 250,000 people every year, is back in 2023 with over 700 vendors participating in the event, which started in the spring and runs through October.
New Yorkers from all five boroughs can indulge in a wide variety of delicious Japanese cuisine, including favorites like Sushi, Ramen, Matcha sweets, Yakisoba, Karaage, Okonomiyaki, and exclusive Japan-collaborated menus that can’t be found anywhere else.
It's not just NYC-based vendors that will be coming out to offer samples of their best dishes. Vendors from other states and even other countries, including the Netherlands and Japan, will be on hand to make this JAPAN Fes the most mouthwatering event ever. So bring your chopsticks and your appetite!
September 9th - JAPAN Fes x Matcha Fes
Upper East Side, 3rd Ave, Between 75th - 76th Streets
The Japanese signature green food, MATCHA, will be featured on Saturday, 9/9/2023 in Upper East Side where visitors can sample exclusive Matcha menus, only available at MATCHA Fes. Delicious greens like creamy Matcha soft serve with 24k gold, fluffy Matcha red bean Imagawayaki, crispy Matcha tempura ice cream, and a chewy Matcha boba drink.
Visitors can experience the authentic Matcha culture of Japan at a welcoming Japanese tea ceremony, performed by @yoshitsugu_nagano. The Ramen contest champion, Menjinya Rokube, will be coming directly from Japan to serve up Grand Prix ramen made with Japanese traditional broth using several kinds of seafood and secret soy sauce with 200 years of history.
HOURS:10AM-6PM
Sep 16 - JAPAN Fes x Konamon Contest
Chelsea 8th Ave, Between 15th & 17th Streets
Six vendors from Japan will be visiting to present the Konamon Contest 2023 in Chelsea on September 16th and 17th. Konamon is a Japanese flour-based savory soul food like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, or Yakisoba.
Professional, acclaimed chefs from Osaka, Hiroshima, Shizuoka, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto are coming together to serve authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine at its very best. Seven contestants, including three coming all the way from Japan, will be on hand with their versions of Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, or Yakisoba to compete in the 2023 Konamon Championship.
Konamon Contest Contestants
Denko Sekka @denkosekka_group from Hiroshima: Hiroshima Okonomiyaki
Kotakaya from GOONIES @takoyaki_goonies from Osaka: Takoyaki
Fujinomiya Yakisoba Society @mt.fuji.yakisoba from Shizuoka: Yakisoba
KARLS BALLS @karlsballs: Takoyaki
Oconomi @oconomi_nyc: Okonomiyaki
Tako-san YAKISOBA @takosan_yakisoba: Yakisoba
Finally, last year's Konamon champion, DokoDemo @dokodemonyc is making a return with their crusty Takoyaki
HOURS: 10AM-6PM
Sep 17 - JAPAN Fes Konamon Contest
Chelsea, 8th Ave, Between 15th & 17th Streets
Four exclusive vendors are coming all the way from Japan to serve Chicken nanban, crispy Japanese fried chicken with creamy egg tartar sauce by @takatomoya from Kumamoto, traditional Japanese ketchup-flavored pasta, Napolitan by @hungry.x.2 from Miyazaki, and original Suibokuga by @kisen.hope.springs.
HOURS: 10AM-6PM
Oct 7th & 8th - JAPAN Fes, New York Ramen Contest 2023
East Village, 4th Ave Between 9th & 11th Streets
This year, special Ramen vendors are coming from around the world for the word-renowned Ramen contest.
From LA, an authentic thick and rich seafood Ramen restaurant known as God, named Top Ramen in Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle.
From the Netherlands, a ramen restaurant that makes their own handmade noodles will also be participating. And many varieties of authentic Japanese food like Takoyaki, Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba, Karaage, Ramen, Matcha sweets, and Imagawayaki will be on hand for the savoring.
HOURS: 10AM-6PM
Oct 28th - JAPAN Fes Finale
East Village (Astor Place, Broadway & Lafayette Street
The finale, the granddaddy of them all, with vendors from all over the city, nation, and the world will come together to offer their delicious, inspiring, and one-of-a-kind flavors not found anywhere else in the city.
Visitors can partake in Wagyu beef bowls, Wagyu skewers, Wagyu rice balls, and Wagyu prime burgers. And for the first time, there will be Soba pudding, a creamy custard pudding made from roasted buckwheat, directly from Fukui, Japan.
HOURS: 10AM-6PM
This year, event producers have introduced a new stamp card. Every time a visitor attends an event, they can stop by the black flag-clad JAPAN Fes tent to receive one stamp. After five stamps, guests will receive exclusive JAPAN Fes merchandise.
By Eileen Strauss
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