All aboard! The Japan Rail Fair 2023 will be making its return to Urban Park, Guoco Tower from 13 to 15 October 2023 (Friday to Sunday).
This is the fourth edition of The Japan Rail Fair, since its launch in 2020. The lifestyle fair presents rail-themed programmes and is a celebration of Japanese culture.
The Japan Rail Fair 2023 will feature 23 booths and promises an array of free family-friendly performances and activities as well as variety of food and beverages over the welcomes one and all to be introduced, or reacquainted, to all things Japanese over three-day event.
What to Look Out for at the Japan Rail Fair 2023
Travel & Tourism Booths
Seven different travel and tourism booths will be at the fair, providing an opportunity to learn more about different ways to travel around Japan.
Festival Games
At The Japan Rail Fair 2023, visitors can try out activities that include popular summer festival games like Yo-Yo Tsuri, or water balloon ‘yo-yo’, where the goal is to ‘fish’ the balloons out of the water to win a prize, and Senbonbiki that offers the chance to win items based purely on luck!
Food and Beverage
Look forward to snacks and confectioneries from brands like Meiji Seika and Narita Dream Farm.
Another brand at the fair is BUTTER NO ITOKO and its gaufrette with buttercream and milk jam filling.
Other foods at The Japan Rail Fair 2023 include Kakigori – a sweet Japanese shaved ice and a favourite summer festival treat, along with a range of fresh and well-loved seasonal fruits from Japan.
Train Simulator Experience (Approved by East Japan Railway Company)
Railway and train enthusiasts will be able to witness a live demonstration of TrainGo – a professional simulator that JR East train drivers use for training.
Cultural Experiences and More
To bring a taste of Japan’s culture to the festival, there will Suzume Odori (sparrow dance) – a traditional dance of Sendai, Miyagi, where dancers follow the beat of drums, flutes and cymbals, and perform with a fan that resembles sparrow feathers in each hand.
Visitors can also look forward to a Brass Band Performance that is commonly seen at Japanese festivals.
Other booths at the fair include Le Furo’s proprietary ‘Craft Onsen’. This brand has Japanese Onsen bath supplements, drinkable Onsen mineral supplements and Onsen mist diffusers that helps with relaxation at home.
There will be a chance for kids to dress up in a Japan Airlines uniform and there will also be photo-taking sessions with JAL Flight Attendants based in Singapore.
Stamp Rally
In addition, there will be a stamp rally lucky draw will be held at The Japan Rail Fair 2023.
Collect stamps from all the booths for a chance to participate in the lucky draw. Prizes to be won include:
- a pair of economy class tickets to Tokyo via JAL
- a one-night stay at Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro with breakfast included
- a pair of JR East passes (Tohoku area or Nagano, Niigata area)
Ekiben at Japan Rail Cafe
Japan Rail Cafe is also bringing back its popular EKIBEN! Inspired by bento boxed meals sold on trains and at train stations in Japan, Shinkansen EKIBEN supervised by JR East Cross Station features a ‘train’ box that may be purchased at the cafe from 1 to 31 October 2023.
The cafe will also be launching Mount Scallop Don starring premium scallops from Hokkaido that is exclusively available during The Japan Rail Fair 2023.
Find out more about the Japan Rail Fair 2023.
You can also read more about what the Japan Rail Fair was like in 2022.
