First-Ever Sweet Potato Festival 'Imo Fes! IN Kakegawa' Announces Lineup for July 18–20, 2026 at Don Quijote Kakegawa Plaza

The participating vendors for the upcoming 'Imo Fes! IN Kakegawa,' scheduled for July 18–20, 2026 (Saturday to Monday) at the plaza adjacent to Don Quijote Kakegawa in Shizuoka Prefecture, have been officially announced. 'Imo Fes!' is a popular food event that has attracted over 480,000 visitors cumulatively across the Tokai region.

Highlights include vendors that have made history by winning both the Monde Selection Gold Award and the ITI Superior Taste Award—the first in the world to receive such honors for sweet potatoes—as well as winners of the 'Imo Fes! Award' announced in December 2025.

The event is organized by Roto Co., Ltd., which operates disability support facilities in Kakegawa City. As such, the festival also serves as a welfare initiative, with numerous disability facilities participating as vendors.

List of participating vendors:

1. Ruidada KITCHEN – Monde Selection Gold Award & ITI Superior Taste Award (world’s first for sweet potatoes), Imo Fes! Grand Prize and Best Overall Award

Welcome to the era of evolved sweet potatoes. Leading this evolution is 'aged sweet potato,' where harvested sweet potatoes are stored for a period, allowing starch to convert into sugar, resulting in an astonishingly sweet and rich flavor. Ruidada Kitchen offers premium 'aged sweet potatoes' specially prepared for this event.

2. Enmusubi – Imo Fes! Award, Excellence Prize, Gold Prize

Aiming to be a 'sweet potato shop with no classics,' we offer unique sweet potato varieties you've never tasted before! Including our famous dessert sweet potato 'Mitsuro,' which has a one-year waiting list.

3. Joiecrep – Imo Fes! Award, Dessert Category Grand Prize

[Sweet Potato Brûlée]

A crêpe inspired by roasted sweet potatoes, featuring a dough infused with purple sweet potato powder, whipped cream, Anno sweet potato sauce, and sweet potato paste.

4. IMOBAKKA – Excellence Prize, Silver Prize

Attention sweet potato lovers! IMOBAKKA is a nationwide favorite known for its signature 'imo kenpi' (sweet potato strips) that draw long lines at sweet potato events. Our specialty thick, soft imo kenpi delivers the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, enhanced with a hint of natural seaweed salt. Our popular 'Gachamaze Mix'—a blend of hand-cut crunchy thin strips and chips—is so beloved that customers travel from as far north as Akita to as far south as Wakayama to buy it at our main store in Kawaguchi, Saitama. It’s shelf-stable for one month, making it perfect as a souvenir or emergency food.

5. Hokkori Imo – Dessert Category Gold Prize

A luxurious three-layer cake featuring smooth cream cheese and sweet potato, accented with a cookie crust. This product won first place in the 'Souvenir' category at the 2025 Sweet Potato Expo for two consecutive sessions.

6. oimodo – Imo Fes! Dessert Category Silver Prize

Our best-selling item, with over 10,000 sold annually! A proud creation combining our signature sweet roasted sweet potatoes with a completely original roasted sweet potato gelato. The gelato, made with whole roasted sweet potatoes including the skin, is guaranteed to create repeat customers!

[Imo Tart] A collaboration with 'Tora-ya & Cafe,' a popular cake shop in Shizuoka. Generous chunks of oimodo’s roasted sweet potatoes sit atop a crispy tart crust. Individually packaged, it’s ideal as a souvenir.

7. DINER Sugi – Imo Fes! Judge’s Special Prize

Sweet potato chips, fried potatoes, and motsunabe (offal stew). A place where everything tastes delicious.

8. Karaage Dōjō

Fujinomiya Yakisoba

From the town of Fujinomiya, home of the World Heritage Mount Fuji

A delicious B-Grade gourmet specialty representing Fujinomiya City

Bakudan Karaage (explosion fried chicken)

(Flavors: garlic soy sauce, salt, and sauce)

9. AMRKEBAB

Kebabs

10. Yakiimo Marujun

Pioneers of chilled roasted sweet potatoes for 20 years, now launching their second innovation: 'Fruit Roasted Sweet Potato'—a fusion of sweet potatoes and fruit.

Texture like roasted sweet potato, flavor like fruit. Making its event debut. (Developed jointly with a university and trading company over one year—world’s first new sweetness and texture!)

11. Recanto

Try our Brazilian-style Mishima Korokke, a fusion of Mishima City’s famous korokke with authentic Brazilian home cooking.

12. DAIKUCOFFEE

Artisan coffee crafted by carpenters.

13. Shizuoka Prefecture Imoya Masaru

Using carefully cultivated sweet potatoes grown with attention to soil quality. Slow-roasted using our proprietary method, delivering intense sweetness and rich flavor.

14. pizzeria ASSO

Enjoy authentic Neapolitan pizza fired at 550°C—no pre-made stock, only freshly baked. Please stop by!

15. Nakajima Beekeeping

Honey lemonade made with rich, concentrated honey from Makinohara, with no added sugar.

16. COCOmone

Our pancakes feature a unique blend and baking method to achieve a thick, fluffy texture. For an even better experience, we customize with seasonal fruits, two types of cream, and five sauce options to suit your taste.

17. Wooly Kakegawa

Handmade crafts

18. Yurufufu Kitchen

Chilled Zenzai (sweet red bean soup with mochi)

19. AMERICAN DINER OISHI

Selling American classics like hot dogs, cream soda, and banana splits.

20. Daito Workshop

Sausages and skewers

21. Kusabue Joint Workshop

Bread and beverages

22. Anemone

Potatoes and shaved ice

23. KING MAN

Jerk Chicken

24. Philip Morris

A total of 24 vendors.

The event has been featured nationwide on Nippon TV’s 'DayDay.' The Golden Week editions of NEOPASA Hamamatsu and NEOPASA Shizuoka were covered by terrestrial news programs. Additionally, live broadcasts have aired on Chukyo TV’s 'Maezuke, Otokusan' and CBC TV’s 'Naruhodo Presenter! Hanasaka Times,' among others, with extensive media coverage.

Some items may sell out quickly, so early arrival is recommended.

Admission is free.

Due to expected congestion, we recommend using public transportation.

Event Details:

Dates: July 18–20, 2026 (Sat–Mon, holiday) Time: 10:00–18:00 (rain or shine) Venue: Vacant lot next to MEGA Don Quijote UNY Kakegawa, 2828-2 Ōike, Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture

First Imo Fes! IN Kakegawa

https://www.imo-fes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/imofesruiida/

Admission Fee: Free

Proceeds from the event will be paid as wages to users of disability facilities operated by Roto Co., Ltd.

On-site staff include users from the facilities. Service may be slower than usual—your understanding is appreciated.

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