Japan’s biggest spicy food festival “Gekikara Gourmet” makes a return for 2017. Run by the Gekikara Gourmet Festival executive committee, this year’s festival will be held at Okubo Park in Shinjuku from August 23rd to September 10th.
The hugely popular festival brings together all fans of extra hot food, from beginners to spice maniacs, and features a long list of cuisines from different countries from Japan’s well-recognised ramen to food from India, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, China and more – the Gekikara Gourmet is truly the world’s hub for hot food. In its 4-year annual run since its inception in 2013, the Gekikara Gourmet has brough together more than 40,000 fanatics of hot food. 2017 marks the festival’s fifth run and will see a record number of 24 stalls attend, including a total of 6 new ones.
Since 2015, the festival has been structured around 3 separate ’rounds’, each of which feature different foods from different stalls, meaning whichever round you attend you can look forward to trying something new. Moreover, to celebrate Gekikara Gourmet’s fifth anniversary, and so that people can enjoy it even more, the festival will feature a “curry fountain,” “beer tower,” and “1m long sausage.”
【Curry Fountain】
You read that right. You’ve seen chocolate fountains, but have you seen a super hot curry fountain? You can order one of these Instagram worthy fountains and choose from 3 different curry dips with varying spiciness to dunk your pork skewers, veg and more.
※Limited to 5 fountains (1 per 3 people) – 1 set ￥3,600 (tax incl.)
【Beer Tower】
If you’re a beer lover then this is a must-see! These beer towers which you will see at beer halls and events are limited to 20 per day. For an affordable price of ￥5,000 (tax incl.) you can get 4 litres of beer. Buy one yourself and drink together with your friends!
【1m Extra Hot Sausage】
One of the stalls appearing in the 3rd round is “Akai Tsubo,” who will be selling limited quantities of a 1m super spicy sausage in collaboration with “Kunsei Koubou Handwerk.” It’s made using 3 different types of chili peppers including jalapeño and the famous Bhut jolokia, or ghost pepper. There’s 3 increasing levels of spiciness to enjoy.
Enthusiasts of spicy food will not want to miss out on this Japan-only, international hot food festival!
■Information
・Running: August 23rd to September 10th – 11:00-21:00
1st Round – August 23rd to August 27th
2nd Round – August 29th to September 3rd
3rd Round – September 5th to September 10th
*Running for a total of 17 days
*The festival will be closed on August 28th and September 4th to rotate stalls for each new round.
・Location: Okubo Park, Kabukichō, Shinjuku
・Access: Located 3-minutes’ walk from Seibu-Shinjuku Station via the Seibu Shinjuku Line / or 8-minutes’ walk from Shinjuku Station via the JR Line, Odakyu Odawara Line, and Keio Line
・Entry: Free Admission. You must pay for food & drink. *In case of rain, the event will continue but may be cancelled as a result of stormy weather.
・Official Website: http://www.gekikara-gourmet.com/
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