Taikuma Saisai 2026 in Kumamoto (台熊祭々2026 in 熊本, pronounced "Taikuma Saisai") will take place at Amu Hiroba in front of Kumamoto Station on Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8, 2026. Thirteen vendors have been announced, including illustrators, general goods makers, and food brands based in Taiwan, along with vendors from Kumamoto and other parts of Japan. Visitors can meet Taiwanese makers in person and experience not only their products but also their daily lives and culture over the two days.
Three Highlights
1. A Market Where You Can Meet Makers from Taiwan
Brands covering Taiwanese design, retro goods, craft jam, Chinese herbal medicine, and coffee are coming from Taiwan to the front of Kumamoto Station. Participants include WHOSMiNG, which was nominated for the "Best Recording Package" category at the 65th Grammy Awards, and the craft jam brand Keya Jam (柯亞果醬), which won double gold at the 2019 "The World's Original Marmalade Awards" in the UK. Others include 香蘭男子電棒燙, which brings the memories of Taiwanese streets into its designs, DAYLILY, which offers Chinese herbal medicine for modern daily life, and 豐達雜貨商行・馬尾古書店, which handles vintage goods and old books from across Taiwan. Visitors can chat with the makers as well as shop, getting a closer feel for Taiwanese culture and daily life.
2. FMK Live Broadcast and a Kumamon Stage
A special FMK (FM Kumamoto) program will be broadcast live from the venue starting at 11:00 AM on November 7. Kumamon appears on stage from 2:00 PM the same day, with mascots from neighboring municipalities also scheduled to join him.
3. Evening Entertainment Inspired by Taiwanese Night Markets
COTA ONO will perform from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM on November 7 and from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on November 8. In the evening, Taiwanese lanterns, lighting, and music will fill the venue.
Meet "Authentic Taiwan" in Front of Kumamoto Station
The event is about more than buying goods: visitors can talk with vendors from Taiwan and learn about the stories and culture behind their products. This is the third edition of Taikuma Saisai, and the venue moves from Koshi City to the front of Kumamoto Station this year.
Vendor and performance details are current plans. The latest information is posted on the official Instagram account (@taikumasaisai).
Vendors Based in Taiwan (8)
Illustration, vintage Taiwanese goods, jam, design, herbal medicine culture, and coffee. Visitors can experience the worlds of the makers in Kumamoto.
1. WHOSMiNG
A brand by Ming, an illustrator and designer based in Taipei. Ming created the original packaging design for the album "Telos (桃樂市)" by Taiwanese singer Fann 芳怡, which uses a peach gift box as its motif, and the work was nominated for "Best Recording Package" at the 65th Grammy Awards in 2023. Ming is also known for "#mingscups", a series depicting cafes visited while traveling. Original goods and a portrait-drawing experience are planned at the venue.
Instagram: @whosming
2. 豐達雜貨商行・馬尾古書店
Started in 2019, inheriting the name of a grandmother's general store in Taiwan. This mobile general store and used bookshop handles nostalgic paper goods and everyday items collected at flea markets across Taiwan, as well as vintage goods from around the world and old picture books.
Instagram: @fonda_ponytail
3. Keya Jam (柯亞果醬)
A craft jam brand that uses seasonal Taiwanese fruit and produce. It has gained international recognition for original flavors that make the most of Taiwanese fruit, and won double gold at "The World's Original Marmalade Awards" in the UK in 2019. In 2026, it also won five gold and eight silver awards for a joint development project using the rare citrus fruit "Nanzhuang orange (南庄橙)". The jars capture the flavors of Taiwan's land and seasons in original combinations.
Instagram: @keya_jam_taiwan
4. 香蘭男子電棒燙
A design brand born in 2016 out of respect for 香蘭觀光理髮中心, a long-established barbershop in Tainan, and its owner. It expresses Taiwanese popular culture and the memories of the streets through humorous graphics, clothing, and goods.
Instagram: @tainan.kouran
5. DAYLILY
A Chinese herbal lifestyle brand born from a Taiwanese herbal pharmacy. Through tea, sweets, cosmetics, and household goods, it suggests ways to bring the ideas of Chinese herbal medicine into daily life.
Instagram: @daylily.tw
6. PAL coffee
A cafe based in Toucheng Township, Yilan County, Taiwan. It serves specialty coffee and Australian-style brunch, and also exhibits at events in Taiwan and abroad.
Instagram: @palcoffee
7. 初耳の台湾
A booth run by the web media 初耳／hatsumimi, which conveys Taiwanese culture and daily life from the perspective of local creators. It will sell books about Taiwan, original items, and more.
Instagram: @hatsumimi.mag
8. 神農生活
A lifestyle shop introducing products rooted in Taiwanese food and daily life. Through food, seasonings, daily necessities, and general goods, it shares the richness of everyday life in Taiwan.
Instagram: @majitreats.jp
Vendors from Kumamoto and Elsewhere in Japan (5)
Taiwanese sweets and baked goods, items rooted in design and music, and Taiwanese goods and publications. Visitors can encounter Taiwanese culture from many angles.
9. 八景水谷ベイク
A specialty shop for Taiwanese castella and baked goods in Hakenomiya, Kita Ward, Kumamoto City. Its signature item is the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth "Taiwanese castella (soufflé castella)", carefully baked in a dedicated oven using selected ingredients.
Instagram: @hakenomiya_bake
10. 美豆花 - mei_toufa -
A Taiwanese sweets shop in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Centered on douhua (tofu pudding) that brings out the flavor of soy milk, it also serves Taiwanese castella, aiyu jelly, and winter melon milk. The shop plans to appear on Sunday, November 8 only.
Instagram: @mei_toufa
11. 珍品生活 (Taro Hashimoto)
A booth of "珍品生活", a hands-on market for Japanese and Taiwanese creators run by ストアルームいい in Waseda, Tokyo. Original goods by graphic designer Taro Hashimoto will be sold, and portrait photography is also planned.
Instagram: @taro_hashimoto
12. 珍品生活 (楽園倶楽部)
Taking part from "珍品生活", a hands-on market where Japanese and Taiwanese creators gather. It offers original items from 楽園倶楽部 and unique products rooted in music and culture.
Instagram: @myrakuenclub
13. 好好商店
A shop selling cute, nostalgic goods bought directly from Taiwan. It sells daily necessities, stationery, and other items that bring the atmosphere of Taiwan closer.
Instagram: @taiwan.wanwan.travel
Stage Program
Saturday, November 7, 11:00 AM to 11:55 AM: FMK (FM Kumamoto) Special Program Live Broadcast
The program "サタデープレゼンター in 台熊祭々2026 アミュひろば" will be broadcast live from the venue. The MCs are scheduled to be MEG and 松本亮介.
Saturday, November 7, from 2:00 PM: Kumamon and Mascot Special Stage
Kumamon appears at Taikuma Saisai, and mascots from neighboring municipalities are also scheduled to appear with him.
November 7 (Sat), 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM and November 8 (Sun), 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM: TAIWAN NIGHT DJ TIME / COTA ONO
COTA ONO, who is based in Kumamoto, will liven up the venue in the evening with music inspired by Taiwanese night markets. COTA ONO is a member of ADD CREATIVE on the music scene and also works actively as a video creator, mainly making music videos.
Talk Events
Various talk events are also being planned. Ideas under consideration include casual conversations among people connected to Taiwan and Kumamoto and the vendors. Dates and performers will be announced once decided.
Event Information
- Name: Taikuma Saisai (台熊祭々) 2026 in Kumamoto
- Dates and Hours: Saturday, November 7, 2026, 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM / Sunday, November 8, 2026, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
- Venue: Amu Hiroba (アミュひろば) in front of Kumamoto Station
- Admission: Free
- Organizers: Taikuma Saisai Executive Committee and アワシティブランディング株式会社
- Co-host: JR熊本シティ
