- Craft Gyoza Festival 2022 Tokyo: A Live Report
- Live from the Craft Gyoza Festival 2022 in Tokyo! Join us for an insider look at the event and tips on avoiding the long queues!
Enjoy Without the Lines! An On-Site Look at the Popular Gyoza Festival
The Craft Gyoza Fes brings together popular gyoza from all over Japan. Every year, it’s a huge hit, with long lines forming at every booth even before noon.
This time, we covered the Tokyo venue held at Komazawa Olympic Park in 2023. Along with on-site impressions, this report shares practical tips on how we managed to taste every gyoza without waiting in line.
For basic strategies and important tips for Craft Gyoza Fes, check out the article below.
Craft Gyoza Fes 2023
Craft Gyoza Fes is a festival for gyoza lovers, featuring dumplings from renowned restaurants across Japan.
Admission is free for everyone — no reservations required.
In 2023, the event took place in Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima. I visited the Tokyo venue at Komazawa Olympic Park.
No Cash Accepted! Go Cashless for Smooth Payment
Cash is not accepted at the venue. You can either buy meal tickets in advance or pay via QR code or electronic money. Credit cards are not accepted.
Since long lines form to buy food, if you choose the ticket option, you’ll first have to wait in a separate line just to get those tickets. To avoid waiting under the hot sun, electronic payment is strongly recommended.
| Category | Available Services |
|---|---|
| Electronic Money | iD, QUICPay, nanaco, Rakuten Edy, WAON |
| Transit IC Cards | Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA |
| QR Code Payment | PayPay |
Dining Spaces Fill Up Instantly
The venue opened at 10:00 am, and I arrived around 10:20 am. It was already bustling with people.
Although there were dining areas available, they were already full.
All dining spaces were standing only.
Peak Crowds Around Noon
Craft Gyoza Fes is extremely popular, and it gets packed around lunchtime.
Here’s what the venue looked like just after noon — incredibly crowded.
The weather was great, but even in May, standing in long lines repeatedly under such sun requires some endurance.
A New Strategy for Comfortable Enjoyment
Standing in the heat and queuing again and again for every gyoza and drink can be exhausting.
In the previous article, we shared the basic strategies and key tips for Craft Gyoza Fes.
And this year, a new solution appeared — the Craft Gyoza Lounge!
Craft Gyoza Lounge
The Craft Gyoza Lounge is a reservation-only seating area (available at the Tokyo venue only in 2023).
A table costs ¥6,000 for 80 minutes of use.
It’s like a VIP section, offering a completely separate and relaxing space from the general dining area.
- Differences from the public area:
- Reserved seats — no need to compete for spots
- You can sit comfortably
- Shaded area for a cool experience
Skip the Lines Completely! Table Ordering System
The best feature of the Craft Gyoza Lounge is that you don’t need to stand in line to order food or drinks.
Each table has a menu, and staff members take your order and fetch everything for you. You pay the total at the end.
I wanted to try every gyoza, so I ordered quite a few dishes. Even so, everything arrived within about 5 minutes, impressively fast.
Without this service, it would’ve been impossible. In no time, our table was full of delicious gyoza.
Tasting Every Gyoza at Every Booth!
Thanks to this system, I managed to quickly and efficiently enjoy gyoza from every booth — without waiting in line.
Each gyoza had its own unique flavor and was absolutely delicious.
Meguro, Tokyo: Shumai & Orange Wine STAGE – “Shrimp Shumai”
I can’t show them all here, but for any gyoza lover, it was a dream-like feast spread across the table.
In the end, I didn’t manage every variety, but I did conquer every booth. As for the total bill…
The total came to ¥23,050, including the lounge fee, gyoza, drinks, and soft-serve ice cream.
The lounge experience was very comfortable, and the staff’s attentiveness made it even better.
Gyoza: A Comfort Food Loved by All
Gyoza, alongside curry rice and ramen, is one of Japan’s favorite comfort foods.
With so many renowned gyoza shops gathered in one place, it’s no wonder Craft Gyoza Fes is such a hit.
It’s an event anyone can enjoy — casual, lively, and full of flavor.
This was my second visit, and once again, I felt that Craft Gyoza Fes is truly a “passionate yet down-to-earth” event.
The festival is held annually in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.
If you love gyoza or food festivals, this is definitely one to visit.
Read more about Craft Gyoza Fes basic strategies and key tips
