A Summer Food Festival Featuring Suffolk Sheep from Yagishiri Island at the Port
Yagishiri Sheep Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- Early August
- Location
- Temporary special venue at Yagishiri Port
- Area
- Hokkaido・Haboro Town(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 30 min–2 h · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
A food event where you can enjoy Suffolk sheep meat raised on Yagishiri Island and seafood at a special venue in the harbor.
About Yagishiri Sheep Festival
The Yagishiri Sheep Festival is a food event held on Yagishiri Island in Haboro, Hokkaido.
Its main feature is the chance to enjoy mutton from Suffolk sheep raised on Yagishiri Island, and seafood is also available.
Surrounded by the island’s natural scenery and the views of the port, it is an opportunity to experience the flavors unique to Yagishiri Island.
Festival highlights
The highlight is the chance to enjoy Yagishiri Island Suffolk mutton grilled over charcoal.
Grills and charcoal are provided at the venue, and food stalls selling seafood and other items are set up.
The chance to enjoy lamb considered precious because only a limited number of sheep are raised, right at the island’s port, is a unique appeal of this event.
A Summer Food Festival Featuring Suffolk Sheep from Yagishiri Island at the Port
What to expect
Visitors grill and enjoy Suffolk meat at the special venue at Yagishiri Port, using the provided grills and charcoal.
Seafood and other items are also sold at the venue, so you can enjoy the island’s seafood alongside the lamb.
The 2026 information describes it as a daytime event running from morning into the afternoon.
How to take part
It is presented as a food event open to the general public.
At the venue, you can enjoy BBQ at your leisure using the provided grills and charcoal, taking part by sampling meat and seafood.
The 2026 information does not mention advance registration or age restrictions.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Temporary special venue at Yagishiri Port (Higashihama, Yagishiri, Haboro, Tomamae District, Hokkaido)
From Haboro Port, it takes about 1 hour by ferry or about 35 minutes by high-speed boat.
- Parking
There is no parking at the venue.
Address Higashihama, Yagishiri, Haboro, Tomamae District, Hokkaido
Dates and season
- Season
Early August
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Hokkaido / Haboro Town (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
According to the 2026 information, grills and charcoal are provided at the venue, and visitors can enjoy BBQ at their leisure.
There is no parking at the venue, so plan your trip on the assumption that you will take a boat from Haboro Port to the island.
Check the information provided on the day for details such as the amount of lamb available and how to buy it.
Nearby attractions
On Yagishiri Island, you can enjoy forest bathing, birdwatching, and viewing wildflowers at Hibari-ga-oka Park.
Deciduous broadleaf trees such as mizunara oak, along with Japanese yew, grow in the eastern part of the island’s central area. This area is designated a national Natural Monument as the “Natural Forest of Yagishiri.”
Along with the festival, you can take in the island’s natural scenery beyond the area around the port.
Source: 暑寒別天売焼尻国定公園 - 環境生活部自然環境局
Origins and History of Yagishiri Sheep Festival
The Yagishiri Sheep Festival has been held on Yagishiri Island since 1983.
Since 2014, it has featured Suffolk sheep raised on the island and has become known as a chance to enjoy rare fresh lamb.
Records indicate that, after being canceled due to the spread of COVID-19, the festival was held for the first time in 4 years on August 5, 2023 and was later discontinued.
Official information
The Yagishiri Island page on the Haboro Tourism Association website lists information about the “Yagishiri Sheep Festival” on March 2, 2026.
For event inquiries, the Gutabi Hokkaido listing gives the phone number for the Yagishiri Branch of the Haboro Tourism Association.
Source: 焼尻島 アーカイブ - 羽幌町観光協会
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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