Eat Soba and Dance at Japan Village
Japan Village’s annual Summer Festival is a free Japanese event that brings together nearly 8,000 attendees for a day of food, games, and cultural performances.
Japan Village Brooklyn Summer Festival
Saturday, August 29, 2026 from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Japan Village – 934 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
Admission: Free
Japan Village’s annual Summer Festival is a free Japanese event that brings together nearly 8,000 attendees for a day of food, games, and cultural performances.
This year there will be two contests: a Wanko Soba-Eating contest and an Ouchi no Tonosama Dance contest. Participants have the chance to win round-trip tickets to Japan.
Event Schedule
1:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony
1:10 p.m. Yosakoi Dance
1:30 p.m. Yamagata Presentation — Hanagasa Ondo & more
1:50 p.m. Awa Odori Performance & Workshop
2:20 p.m. Aomori Presentation — Kuroishi Yosare & more
2:50 p.m. Watermelon Splitting Contest
3:30 p.m. Taiko Performance by Taiko Masala
3:50 p.m. Ouchi no Tonosama Dance Contest
4:20 p.m. Wanko Soba Noodle-Eating Contest
5:00 p.m. Bon Odori
5:40 p.m. Closing Ceremony
Wanko Soba-Eating Contest
Join this exciting Japanese soba noodle-eating competition! A beloved tradition from Morioka City in Iwate Prefecture, participants compete to eat as many small bowls of soba noodles as possible within one minute.
How to Participate in the Wanko Soba-Eating Contest
Register to apply to receive a spot in the raffle. Click here for the registration form.
12:30 p.m. — Raffle tickets will be distributed
3:00 p.m. — Raffle begins, during which competitors will be chosen for a seat in the contest
4:20 p.m. — Competition begins
The person who eats the most bowls of wanko soba in one minute will win round-trip tickets to Japan!
Ouchi no Tonosoma Dance Contest
Ouchi no Tonosama is a traditional folk dance from Yamaguchi City, located on the southwestern side of Honshu Island near Hiroshima. Meaning “the Lord of Ouchi,” the dance pays homage to Ouchi Hiroyo, a powerful daimyo who Yamaguchi City during the 14th Century. A well-read and cultured samurai, Ouchi is credited with building Yamaguchi City to reflect Kyoto’s elegance.
The dance contest begins at 3:50 p.m. No registration is necessary; simply join the dancers on stage. The best dancer wins round-trip tickets to Yamaguchi and a hotel voucher to Yuda Onsen, a historic hot spring, famous for its alkaline waters and white fox motifs. Legend has it that Buddhist priest witnessed a white fox dipping its injured paw into a pond each day. Curious, the priest investigated the pond and discovered that the water was warm and had healing powers. Thus, Yuda Onsen was born.
Eat, dance, and learn more about Japanese culture at Japan Village’s Summer Festival!
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Plan a Journey to Japan
Plan Your Journey to Japan: Meet Experts at the New York Adventure Show
2025 New York Travel & Adventure Show
Saturday, January 25 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 26 from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Javits Center – 429 11th Avenue
Admission: $19.29 for one day | $28.08 for both days
The New York Travel & Adventure Show returns to Javits Center with more than 550 travel experts to help you plan your next vacation to anywhere in the world. If Japan is one of your desired destinations in 2025, you’ll want to take advantage of the Japanese-related travel organizations that will be at your disposal. Discover cities other than Tokyo and Kyoto to explore and learn the best insider tips to make your adventure to Japan the best it can be.
Whether it’s your first time or your 20th time, head to the Japan booths at the Travel & Adventure Show! To purchase tickets, please visit the Travel & Adventure Show’s website.
Participating Japan-Related Travel Organizations
Booth 214 – Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau
Booth 216 – HIS / Experts of Travel to Japan
Booth 301 – Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
Booth 303 – Iwate, Japan
Booth 323 – Japan National Tourism Organization
Chindon-ya Performance
Saturday, January 25 from 10:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Sunday, January 26 from 11:30 a.m. until Noon
Presented by Tokyo Tourism
BENTENYA, a Japanese professional female Chindon-ya, will perform at the Global Beats Stage on each day. A Chindon-ya is a type of street advertisement through which colorfully clothed bands march in parades and perform at matsuri. The bands play instruments such as taiko drums, bells, accordions, saxophones, and trumpets while toting sandwich boards advertising store openings and the like. Hailing from Aichi Prefecture, BENTENYA formed in 2008 and turned pro three years later, claiming first prize in the National Chindon Tournament in 2015 and 2016. They have performed their special brand of music internationally, including the Japan Expo in Paris in 2016 as well as the 2024 Japan Festival Houston.
Support JapanCulture•NYC by becoming a member! For $5 a month, you’ll help maintain the high quality of our site while we continue to showcase and promote the activities of our vibrant community. Please click here to begin your membership today!
Japan Village’s annual Summer Festival is a free Japanese event that brings together nearly 8,000 attendees for a day of food, games, and cultural performances.