Gooey, melty cheese is coming to Expo Commemoration Park this weekend. The 8th Cheese EXPO, which bills itself as the largest cheese-themed food event in Kansai, takes place on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the East Plaza in Suita, Osaka. Expect pizza, pasta, burgers and sweets made with cheeses from Japan and abroad.
21 cheese food and sweets stalls and 11 cheeseburger stalls
The main draw is 32 food booths: 21 serving cheese dishes and sweets, and 11 serving cheeseburgers. For example, Lo Splendore offers a fresh-pasta carbonara finished in a large wheel of cheese, Shosaikan serves cheese-skirt pan-fried soup dumplings, and Enitako makes rich double-cheese takoyaki (octopus balls) with seared mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and mayo. It is a lineup that moves between Japanese, Western and Chinese flavors.
Among the burgers are dishes using Hyogo ingredients, such as Burger KAMONE’s Banshu beef cheeseburger with a 100% Banshu beef patty, and eight one cafe’s basil cheese Awaji beef burger made with Awaji beef and Awaji Island onions. Some items are day-specific: The Masterpiece’s “CHEDDARLAND,” with three layers of cheddar and mozzarella, is available on November 14 only, and Lucky Burger’s “Matsusaka Burger Special,” made with 100% Matsusaka beef, on November 15 only.
“Cheese Hakurankai”: 37 domestic cheeses from 14 workshops across Japan
For shoppers there is the “Cheese Hakurankai” (cheese exhibition) retail area. Fourteen cheese workshops, from Hokkaido to Kumamoto, bring a total of 37 cheeses. Award winners are a highlight: molq CHEESE MOLDING FAQTORY’s blue cheese “Ai,” which won the top prize in the blue-mold category at the Japan Cheese Awards 2026, will be there, along with Yozawa Goat Farm’s Yozawa goat cheese, Chichibu Yamanami Cheese Workshop’s “Sansho,” and IL FIORETTO’s “Shirohana.”
Imports are well covered too: fresh burrata from Italy’s Caseificio San Francesco, world cheeses selected by Cesco, and natural wine from Hokusetsu Wines are on sale. You can pick a bottle to go with your cheese at the same place.
The Imo EXPO and Chi-Jikara Festa run alongside
The 6th Imo EXPO, held in one corner of the venue, brings together 13 sweet potato sellers from across Japan. “Imokichi,” winner of the 2026 national baked sweet potato grand prix, is joining with baked sweet potatoes and baked sweet potato cheesecake. Oimodokoro Enmusubi plans “Shiawase no Yakiimo Mitsuro,” made with a rare variety said to have a one-year waiting list, and THE IMOMITSU plans a “drinkable sweet potato.” Salty cheese and sweet imo in one venue is the strength of these two days.
The Chi-Jikara Festa also takes place, with 44 stalls chosen by advisers at the chambers of commerce of 7 cities and 3 towns in the Hokusetsu area, offering food, relaxation services and hands-on corners.
After eating, head to the special stage. Yoshimoto comedy live shows start at 13:00 on both days (November 14: Impossible and Cherry Daisakusen; November 15: Onishi Lion and Osaka Cleopatra). About 40 idol groups based mainly in Kansai will perform across the two days, and on Saturday, November 14 the “T. rex Race,” in which participants run in dinosaur costumes, will be held at the park for the third time.
Event details
- Event: 8th Cheese EXPO in Expo Commemoration Park / 6th Imo EXPO in Expo Commemoration Park
- Dates: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Hours: 09:30–17:00 (ticket sales until 16:30)
- Venue: East Plaza, Expo Commemoration Park (1-1 Senri Banpakukoen, Suita, Osaka)
- Admission: ¥500 (free for elementary school students and younger). Park admission is charged separately
- Notes: Held in light rain; may be canceled in bad weather. Details are subject to change without notice
- Official website (Japanese): https://cheese1expo.com/
- Imo EXPO (Japanese): https://oimoexpo.com/
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheese_expo/
