Dode Matsuri 2026

Summer might be peak festival season in Japan, but if you packed your yukata away thinking the fun was over, not so fast. This weekend, a festival is popping up in the middle of Nagoya, and this one comes with a TV station, a temple with over 300 years of history and free concerts. Meet Dode Matsuri.

So What Is It?

Once a year, local TV station Me Tele throws a party named after its morning show Dodesuka!, spilling out of its headquarters and into the grounds of Higashi-Betsuin, the temple right next door. Picture classic matsuri vibes mixed with a peek behind the scenes of Japanese TV, and you're pretty close.

The quick facts:

• Sat Oct 17 and Sun Oct 18, 10:00 to 19:30
• Higashi-Betsuin Station (Meijo Line), Exit 4. You literally walk out into it.
• Free entry (just bring money for snacks)
• Light rain won't stop it, but a storm will

What to Do There

• Play like a kid again. Shooting galleries and super ball scooping are matsuri classics, and nobody cares if you're terrible at them.
• Eat your way around. Stalls from local shops and a market with vendors from all over Aichi, Gifu and Mie. Pace yourself.
• Meet Nagoya's cutest dessert. Piyorin, the chick-shaped pudding Nagoya is weirdly proud of, turns 15 this year and has teamed up with Me~Tele's wolf mascot Wolfy for some very collectible goods.
• Sit by a bonfire on temple grounds. Yes, really. There's also handheld fireworks from 17:00.
• Peek inside a TV studio. The studio experiences used an advance lottery on the Wolfy app, so check the official site in case anything's left.

Free Music at a Temple

From 15:00 to 19:30 each day, the temple grounds turn into Club Higashi-Betsuin, a laid-back free concert. Saturday has Ginger Root (solo set), and Sunday brings tofubeats and LUCKY TAPES (acoustic). Watching the sun go down over a temple roof with live music playing is a very good way to spend an October evening.

A Few Pro Tips

• Bring cash. Festival stalls and cards aren't always friends.
• Morning for games, evening for music. Crowds build in the afternoon.
• Take the subway. There's no parking and nearby roads will be partly closed.
• Keep going after. Osu's shopping arcades are a short walk north. Festival snacks are a starter, not dinner.
• Practice your Japanese. Kore hitotsu kudasai means "one of these, please" and will get you through every food stall.

See You There?

Here at GoWONDR, we think saying yes to weekends like this is the fastest way to feel at home in a new city. If you're dreaming about studying or living in Nagoya, book a free consultation and we'll help you get here, just in time for the next festival.

Cover photo: HANVIN CHEONG on Unsplash