Shin Ibaraki Meshi General Election 2026: Municipal Rivalry - The Ultimate Ibaraki Gourmet Championship

About this event

The "Shin Ibaraki Meshi General Election 2026: Municipal Rivalry - The Ultimate Ibaraki Gourmet Championship" will be held to determine Ibaraki Prefecture's new signature "local gourmet" dish. In this event, entries will compete for the top spot in "Shin Ibaraki Meshi" across two categories: General Cuisine and Sweets. From Hitachiomiya City, "Religieuse of Hitachi" will be entered in the Sweets division. Based on the traditional pastry "religieuse" long-beloved in France, this sweet has been ingeniously designed so it can be enjoyed outdoors with one hand. The combination of the top choux pastry filled with "rich ganache cream of Okukuji tea"—characterized by its deep richness and pleasant astringency—and the bottom choux pastry filled with "refreshing yuzu cream" featuring a refreshing local aroma makes it a luxurious treat that brings smiles to those who taste it. The Ibaraki-grown ingredients used are Okukuji eggs, Okukuji tea, yuzu, and wheat flour. Advance voting will run from 17:00 on Tuesday, August 25 to 12:00 on Monday, October 5, and voting instructions will be published on the official Shin Ibaraki Meshi General Election 2026 website. The main event will take place over 3 days from Saturday, October 10 to Monday, October 12, 2026 (Reiwa 8), from 10:00 to 16:00 (until 15:00 on the final day). The venue is the Ibaraki Prefectural Government Sannomaru Building (1-5-38 Sannomaru, Mito City). The event will proceed rain or shine, but will be cancelled in severe weather.

Venue

Ibaraki Prefectural Government Sannomaru Building

1-5 Sannomaru, Mito, Ibaraki 310-0011