A Charity Medaka Festival in Itoigawa this October

I saw this poster in the hotel in Itoigawa we stayed in, advertising a charity medaka festival on October 4th, 2026. Medaka are Japanese Rice Fish, so called because they live in rice fields, as well as small ponds and shallow rivers. "Medaka Festivals" are quite common in Japan. 

This one is on from 10 am to 3 pm at the Roadside Station Marine Dream Nou on Sunday the 4th (October). It celebrates the medaka fish with exhibitions sales and a gathering of medaka enthusiasts. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to support the Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster Area, adding a meaningful purpose to the event.

If you would like to exhibit a collection of medaka, the organizers are currently accepting applications: until September 13th, 2026. The roadside station could just as easily be called a seaside station - it is located right along the coast! It even has a museum and there is a camping ground beside it. Here is Genkidesu's review of the facility.