Gluten-free, and beyond.
Beyond Gluten-Free Fes Nagoya, Japan
2026.11.1 SUN
11:00 – 16:00
Hisaya-odori Park, Shibafu Hiroba (Sakae, Nagoya, Japan)
A one-day gluten-free food festival in the heart of Nagoya. Every shop here is free of wheat, barley, rye and oats, down to the soy sauce.
01 — What “Beyond Gluten-Free” means
Turning “I can’t eat that”
into “This is delicious!”
Not just “free of” gluten.
A festival that focuses on what comes next: delicious.
To take part in Beyond Gluten-Free Fes, a shop must use none of the four gluten grains, wheat, barley, rye and oats, anywhere in what it sells. That includes ingredients, seasonings, sauces and processing aids. Soy sauce, miso, vinegar, curry roux: all of it has to be made without these grains. It is a stricter standard than “gluten-free” usually means, so that everyone can simply enjoy the food without checking.
This standard does not reject ordinary gluten-free food. It was created to give peace of mind both to people with coeliac disease and to people with severe wheat allergy. In addition, each shop displays which kind of kitchen its food was made in (for example, whether the kitchen ever handles gluten grains), both at its booth and on this page. “Beyond Gluten-Free” is a registered trademark.
Wheat
None, not even in seasonings
Barley
None, not even in seasonings
Rye
None, not even in seasonings
Oats
None, not even in seasonings
02 — Why we do this
We want to end
“giving up because of an allergy”.
“You’ll never make a business out of that.” We heard it many times.
Nine years ago, our founder naco (Nahoko Okamura) developed a severe wheat allergy. Not only wheat: barley, rye and oats too. Even food labelled “gluten-free” often turned out to contain soy sauce brewed with wheat, or barley, and she reacted again and again. She gave up a lot: eating out, convenience stores, meals with friends, trips with her family. And food markets.
At a market, the first thing she does is check the ingredients. One stall after another, checking, checking, checking. Even then she rarely finds anything she can eat. While her family happily wanders from stall to stall, she sits alone on a bench and slowly eats the one thing she managed to find. Not “which one shall I have?” but “is there anything at all I can eat?” That is what a market feels like when you have an allergy.
So we decided to build that excitement ourselves. That is how this festival was born: a market where every single shop avoids the four grains down to the last seasoning, where you can choose anything and eat it with confidence. And where the food is genuinely delicious. People with allergies and people without, at the same table, saying “this is good”.
naco, founder of Beyond Gluten-Free Fes
Owner of Michinori Bento and Michinori-tei, Nagoya
03 — The first edition (October 2025)
Sold out within the first hour.
19shops
Vendors
1,200–1,600people
Estimated visitors
about1hour
Until most shops sold out
So many people told us “I couldn’t buy anything”. For the second edition we have about 2.4 times as many shops, the festival runs five hours instead of four, and we use the whole lawn of Shibafu Hiroba. The entire venue is gluten-free.
Scenes from the first edition
04 — Event information
Event information
- Date & time
- Sunday, November 1, 2026, 11:00–16:00
- Venue
- Hisaya-odori Park, Shibafu Hiroba (the lawn area), Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- Admission
- Free
- Shops
- 39 food shops, 4 craft & goods shops and 6 food trucks (49 in total)
- Format
- A stand-alone festival using the whole lawn. The entire venue is gluten-free. As far as we know, a gluten-free-only festival of this size is the first in Japan.
- Expected visitors
- About 5,000
- Rain
- The festival goes ahead in light rain. It may be cancelled if a storm or heavy rain is forecast. The decision will be announced on this site by 18:00 the day before.
- Organizer
- Temahima Co., Ltd. (Nagoya)
05 — Participating shops
Participating shops
English names are our own romanization. Each card shows the kitchen badge explained above and a link to the shop’s Instagram. Menus, photos and each shop’s story are on the Japanese page.
Loading shops...
The list is updated as shops are confirmed.
06 — Access
Right in the middle of Sakae.
Nearest stations
Hisaya-odori Station (subway Meijo Line / Sakura-dori Line) or Sakae Station (subway Meijo Line / Higashiyama Line). The park is right outside the exits.
From Nagoya Station
- Take the subway Higashiyama Line (yellow) toward Fujigaoka.
- Get off at Sakae, the second stop (about 5 minutes).
- Walk north along Hisaya-odori Park. The lawn area (Shibafu Hiroba) is a few minutes on foot.
Parking
There is no parking for the festival. Please use public transport.
07 — Tips for visitors from abroad
Good to know before you come.
Come early. At the first edition most shops sold out about one hour after opening. There is much more stock this year, but popular items will still go.
Bring cash in yen. Payment methods vary from shop to shop. Many small food vendors in Japan take cash only, so please have Japanese yen with you. We will post details here before the event.
Language. Most vendors speak Japanese only. Everything sold is free of the four grains, so you do not need to ask about gluten. For other allergies (eggs, dairy, nuts, soy and so on), ask at the booth. The phrases below may help.
Seating. The venue is a public park lawn. Bring a picnic sheet if you would like to sit down and eat.
08 — Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Is there an entrance fee?
No. Entry is free.
Is everything at the festival really gluten-free?
Every shop must avoid wheat, barley, rye and oats in everything it sells, including seasonings and processing aids. Kitchens differ, however: some shops cook in kitchens that also handle wheat. Please check the kitchen badge on each shop’s card and booth, especially if you have coeliac disease.
What about other allergies?
Our standard covers the four gluten grains only. Eggs, dairy, nuts, soy, sesame and other allergens vary by product. Please ask at each booth.
What if it rains?
The festival goes ahead in light rain. It may be cancelled if a storm or heavy rain is forecast. The decision will be announced on this site by 18:00 the day before.
Can I pay by card?
It depends on the shop. We recommend bringing Japanese yen in cash. Details will be posted here before the event.
Is there parking?
No. Please use public transport. Sakae and Hisaya-odori subway stations are right by the park.
Will things sell out?
At the first edition many shops sold out about one hour after opening. This year there are far more shops and far more stock, but popular items may still sell out. If there is a shop you really want to visit, come early.
Can my shop take part?
Applications for the second edition closed on August 11, 2026. The next call for vendors will be announced on this site and on Instagram (@glutenfree_nagoya), in Japanese.
Come and see us.
If you have an allergy or coeliac disease
Experience what it feels like when you can choose anything on the table. Street food and markets can be part of your life again.
If you think “this isn’t for me”
You are exactly who we want to meet. Come for the surprise of “this is gluten-free?” and the discovery of “I want more”.
If you are travelling in Japan
Nagoya is on the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto. The venue is about 10 minutes from Nagoya Station by subway. Make November 1 your Nagoya day.
If you want to follow along
We post updates on Instagram. Most posts are in Japanese, but the photos speak for themselves.