23rd Hokkaido Fair in Yoyogi

Though the island is home to some of the country's best ski slopes and areas of stunning natural beauty, the first thing on most Japanese people's minds when they head to Hokkaido is food. There'll be a lot of that at this gut-busting bonanza in Yoyogi Park – a total of 88 booths representing 41 different towns and cities, no less. There's a slightly unpleasant tone to the PR guff for this year's event, which emphasizes the 'safety and security' of Hokkaido nosh (in comparison to the meat, fish and veg emanating from you-know-where) – but all will be forgiven once you start tucking in to all that freshly grilled seafood, soup curry and miso ramen.