The Itoigawa region of Niigata is one of the prefecture's best spots for anglerfish (known as ankou in Japanese), and the multi-venue Itoigawa Anglerfish Festival will serve up anglerfish soup for ¥ 500 a cup - it's seen as one of the classic tastes of winter in this part of Japan.
Along with the anglerfish soup there will be other local food specialties available for purchase, plus demonstrations of anglerfish preparation.
The dates and times for the 2024 event are as follows:
- Nou Venue: Sunday, January 21, 10:00-14:00
- Itoigawa Venue: Sunday, January 28, 10:00-14:00
- Oumi Venue: Sunday, February 4 10:00-14:00
Getting there
The event takes place at three main venues.
The Itoigawa portion of the event takes place at the Jade Kingdom Hall (ヒスイ王国館), which can be accessed in just a minute on foot from Itoigawa Station, or around 5 minutes from the Itoigawa IC of the Hokuriku Expressway.
The Nou event takes place at Roadside Station Marine Dream Nou (道の駅 マリンドリーム能生), which is around 5 minutes drive from the Nou IC of the Hokuriku Expressway, or around 30 minutes on foot from Nou Station.
The Oumi venue is around 2 minutes drive from the Oyashirazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway, or around 30 minutes on foot from Oyashirazu Station.
Kim Bergström @kim.b
Almost 12 years living in Asia. Passionate about Japan's off-the-beaten-path spots, family-friendly travel, flower events (all of them!) and the amazing tea culture here. 🍵🌼🌸
