Kawasaki Shimin Matsuri runs 3 days from Fri, Oct 30: 130+ booths at Fujimi Park and SUKIYAKI rice balls

One of the city's biggest festivals, with 500,000 visitors

The Kawasaki Shimin Matsuri draws more than 500,000 visitors every year, making it one of the biggest events in the city. The motto for this 47th edition is "Let's build a plaza for everyone." Residents, businesses and the city put it on together.

The venue is the Fujimi Park area in Kawasaki Ward. Events are spread across the Entrance Plaza, Keirin Velodrome Plaza, Stadium Plaza, Lawn Plaza and Fujimi Baseball Field Plaza, and run 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on all three days. The festival goes ahead in rain and is canceled only in stormy weather. Any cancellation is posted on the festival website.

130+ booths and specialties from 28 towns

• Bazaar: More than 130 groups run booths with freshly made food and goods. 28 municipalities from Hokkaido to Okinawa sell local specialties. The Fujimi Baseball Field Plaza has festival food stalls, and the Lawn Plaza has food trucks.
• Okunoto support booths: Using donations from Kawasaki residents to help areas hit by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the towns and cities of Anamizu, Suzu, Noto and Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture set up booths.
• Stage shows: About 80 groups perform dance, cheer, taiko drumming, hula and more. There are two stages, at the Entrance Plaza and the Keirin Velodrome Plaza.
• Displays and hands-on fun: Fire engines and an earthquake simulator, Self-Defense Forces vehicles, a "skeleton" garbage truck, and rides on unusual bicycles from Kawasaki Keirin (all three days).

Unicycle lessons and Sanrio shows

Unicycle lessons and performances are this year's special feature. Kawasaki is a strong unicycling city: at the world championships in August, the Masugata Unicycle Club from Tama Ward became world champions. The Kawasaki Unicycle Association, made up of six clubs based in the city, gives lessons every day.

Time	What
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	Performance 1
12:00–12:45 p.m.	Unicycle lesson 1
2:30–3:00 p.m.	Performance 2
3:00–3:15 p.m.	Unicycle lesson 2

It takes place around the outside of Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki (Fujimi Baseball Field side). On Fri, Oct 30 only, the performances are on the Entrance Plaza stage.

A show with popular Sanrio characters takes place on Sun, Nov 1 on the field of Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki. Stage shows start at 11:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., and the greeting at 1:30 p.m. No registration or numbered tickets are needed. The stage shows may be canceled in rain.

Also: on Sat, Oct 31 there are a mini bullet train, an American football experience and a pegarball experience; on Oct 31 and Nov 1 there are a city bus display with a chance to sit in the driver's seat, parent-and-child crafts, and log sawing for kids.

SUKIYAKI rice balls from ¥400 at four shops

The movie "SUKIYAKI: Ue o Muite Arukō," based on the famous song by Kyu Sakamoto, who has ties to Kawasaki, opens on Fri, Dec 25, 2026. This tie-up celebrates the release.

Four local shops make "SUKIYAKI rice balls" with special sukiyaki filling from Miyadai Shoten (宮代商店), a meat shop with more than 80 years of history in Kawasaki. They are sold at the tie-up booth in the Entrance Plaza, in limited numbers.

Shop	Area	Price (tax incl.)
Yoshidaya (吉田屋)	Komukaicho, Saiwai Ward	¥400
Iidaya (飯田屋)	Oda, Kawasaki Ward	¥400
Okawa Shokudo (大川食堂)	Okawacho, Kawasaki Ward	¥430
Omusubi Cafe Sarara (おむすびかふぇサララ)	Hamacho, Kawasaki Ward	¥400 (Nov 1 only)

There is also a "digital stamp rally": scan the QR codes on panels in the five plazas with your smartphone to collect stamps, and you can enter a draw for rice ball vouchers, movie goods or Mubichike movie ticket cards. Prizes must be claimed by 4:00 p.m. on the same day.

Yoshidaya of Komukaicho, Saiwai, takes part

Yoshidaya in Komukaicho, Saiwai Ward, is one of the four shops making the SUKIYAKI rice balls.

On the Entrance Plaza stage on Sun, Nov 1, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars Cheer School "diana kids Shin-Kawasaki" performs: the Saturday class at 1:15 p.m. and the Thursday class at 1:55 p.m. Stage times may shift depending on how the program runs.

No parking around the venue

There is no parking near the venue. Take the train and bus.

• On foot: About 16 minutes from JR Kawasaki Sta. (north exit) or Keikyu Kawasaki Sta.
• By bus: From the JR Kawasaki Sta. east exit bus terminal, get off at "Culttz Kawasaki / Fujimi Park." Kawasaki City buses: routes Kawa 04, 05, 07, 10, 13 and 15 (stops 11–15). Rinko buses: routes Kawa 02 and 03 (stops 16, 17 and 20).

From Saiwai Ward, head to JR Kawasaki Sta. first.

During the festival, the park path from the Fujimi Park Entrance Plaza to Fujitsu Stadium Kawasaki is closed at night (Thu, Oct 29, 6 p.m. – Fri, Oct 30, 7 a.m.; Oct 30, 7 p.m. – Sat, Oct 31, 7 a.m.; Oct 31, 7 p.m. – Sun, Nov 1, 7 a.m.). On Nov 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., many vehicles pass through the park to clear up.

Contacts

• Kawasaki Shimin Matsuri Executive Committee office (Tourism and Regional Vitality Promotion Department, Economic and Labor Affairs Bureau, Kawasaki City): 044-200-2308 (weekdays 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
• Regional Revitalization Section, Tourism and Regional Vitality Promotion Department, Economic and Labor Affairs Bureau, Kawasaki City: 044-200-2352

Event locations and details are on the "Plaza events" page and venue map of the festival website. The guide pamphlet handed out on the day can also be downloaded from the website.

For what the venue was like when our team visited on Sat, Oct 31, and the bicycle parking rules, see our visit report.