Sun, Nov 1 – Tue, Nov 3
Shirokanesai 白金祭
Meiji Gakuin University
Every time you read a Japanese word in English letters, like Shinjuku or sushi, you are using a system named after James Curtis Hepburn, the American doctor and missionary who founded this school. His successors built a brick chapel and a wooden missionary house in Shirokane that still stand, and in November the festival wraps around them.
- Dates
- Sun, Nov 1 – Tue, Nov 3
- Hours
- Nov 1 13:00-18:00 / Nov 2-3 10:00-18:00
- Where
- Shirokane Campus
Open in Google Maps ↗ - Nearest station
- Shirokanedai or Shirokane-Takanawa Station (Tokyo Metro Namboku, Toei Mita), about 7 min
- Entry
- Free
- Reservation
- Not needed
- Payment
- Bring cash: most stalls don't take cards
- English
- Mostly Japanese (Google Lens helps)
- Official site
- Visit official site ↗
Last updated: Sep 15, 2026
What it is
- Three days around Culture Day on the Shirokane campus; the first day starts at 13:00.
- The 1916 chapel by William Merrell Vories, the Imbrie House (about 1889, Japan's oldest surviving missionary house) and the Memorial Hall are cultural properties of Minato City.
- No reservation and no entry limits, according to the festival committee.
Highlights
- 2026 theme: "GALAXY: connecting stars".
- Hepburn also compiled the first Japanese-English dictionary, published in 1867.
Best time to go
General tips that apply to most Tokyo university festivals.
- Right at opening, usually 10:00: stalls are ready and lines are short.
- On multi-day festivals, weekdays are the quietest days.
- Saturday early afternoon is the busiest time almost everywhere.
- Eat before 11:30 or after 13:30 to skip the lunch rush.
Suggested plan
- 10:00 Pick up a map at the gate. Do the popular indoor events (exhibitions, workshops, cafes) before the lines grow.
- 11:30 Lunch from the food stalls, ahead of the noon rush.
- 13:00 Watch bands, dance and theatre on the outdoor stages.
- 15:00 Walk the campus sights, then sort your trash at an eco-station on the way out.
Rules at the festival
- Ask before photographing students up close.
- No photos where signs say so.
- Sort trash at the eco-stations: burnable, plastic, cans, PET bottles.
- Don't bring your own alcohol. Many festivals ban it; where it is sold, buy only from the official stalls.
- No smoking and no drones on campus.
- Only enter rooms that are part of the festival.
Point-and-show phrases
No Japanese needed. Show this screen to a student at the stall.
| これください | This one, please Kore kudasai |
| いくらですか？ | How much is it? Ikura desu ka? |
| 写真を撮ってもいいですか？ | May I take a photo? Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka? |
| カードは使えますか？ | Can I pay by card? Kaado wa tsukaemasu ka? |
| ゴミ箱はどこですか？ | Where is the trash bin? Gomibako wa doko desu ka? |
| 入口はどこですか？ | Where is the entrance? Iriguchi wa doko desu ka? |
| トイレはどこですか？ | Where is the restroom? Toire wa doko desu ka? |
| おいしい！ | Delicious! Oishii! |
| ありがとうございます | Thank you Arigatou gozaimasu |
Cash & ATMs
Most 7-Eleven stores have ATMs that accept foreign cards, and many are open 24 hours.
Stay & tours
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