JAPAN Fes New York

What JAPAN Fes New York does

JAPAN Fes New York (legally Afoward Inc., operating as Jforward Group) organizes recurring Japanese food and culture festivals featuring street food vendors, contests, and indoor events. Founded in June 2016 by CEO Tatsuya Dragon Yamamoto in Long Island City, NY, the company has scaled from 3 events in its first year to a planned 100 events across 6 cities (New York, Paris, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Tokyo) in 2026, with 66 events held globally in 2025. The core product is the JAPAN Fes Events series—free-entry outdoor festivals held at high-traffic public locations (Times Square, Central Park, Arc de Triomphe, Republic Square Austin, Miami Marine Stadium) plus occasional indoor events—supplemented by a Vendor Participation Program, Volunteer Program, Discord-based Team JAPAN Community, J-KURU language-learning meetup, and a Members Card loyalty program.

The platform is not technology-based; the company's stated core technology is "not applicable," and there are no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI systems. Operational value is delivered through physical event infrastructure: licensing assistance, equipment provision (tents, generators, induction cooktops), warehouse storage, transportation, commercial kitchen rentals, and PR/marketing services. Cultural programming (origami, calligraphy) and competitive events (Ramen Contest, Konamon Contest, Wagyu Celebration, Kirishima Fes) differentiate the experience beyond pure food vending.

The revenue model is multi-stream and vendor-anchored. Food vendors pay $500 per day per 10x10 booth plus an 8% sales commission (20% in Houston); non-food vendors pay $300 per day plus 8% (20–25% in Houston). Ancillary streams include equipment rentals ($150 tents, $700 12-hour commercial kitchen), warehouse ($250/month), transportation ($300/round trip), and high-margin premium services—Instagram promotional posts ($1,000), influencer stories ($1,000/person), stage setup ($10,000), festival production ($10,000+), and individual naming rights ($10,000). A $100 non-refundable deposit gates applications, with settlement after events. Attendees pay individual unit prices on-site (mini bites from $5; premium pairings around $21). The company projects 1,000,000+ annual attendees and 2,000+ annual vendor participants across all events globally.

Name

JAPAN Fes New York

Legal name

Aforward Inc.

Website

https://japanfes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JAPAN Fes New York (Aforward Inc.) organizes recurring Japanese food and culture festivals across 6 cities worldwide, serving Japanese food vendors and festival attendees through a booth-fee plus sales-commission business model, operating since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Event Management Services

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food Festivals & Culinary Events (Ticketed Tastings, Pop-ups) (THAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Japanese food festivals
• Cultural event management
• Vendor booth rentals
• Food festival production
• Community event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Vendor Booth Fees and Sales Commission: Primary revenue stream from vendor participation fees. Food vendors pay $500 per day per booth plus 8% commission on sales. Non-food vendors pay $300 per day per booth plus 8% commission. PR booths (no sales) are $500. Additional revenue from equipment rentals, warehouse services, transportation, kitchen facilities, and part-time staff.
2. Equipment and Services Rentals: Vendors can rent equipment including tents ($150), tables, generators, grills, propane, induction cooktops, and burners. Additional services include warehouse storage ($250/month), transportation ($300/round trip), commercial kitchen rental ($700 for 12 hours), and PR agency arrangement ($500/booth).
3. Premium PR and Marketing Services: Premium marketing services including JAPAN Fes Instagram promotional posts ($1,000), influencer marketing ($1,000/person), stage setup ($10,000), festival production ($10,000+), and individual naming rights ($10,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JAPAN Fes produces recurring Japanese food and culture festivals in six global cities, monetizing primarily through paid vendor booth participation ($500/day food, $300/day non-food plus 8% sales commission), equipment and service rentals, and add-on PR and marketing services. The festivals aggregate 60+ vendors serving 200+ Japanese food items alongside cultural activities and contests to consumer attendees.

Product overview

JAPAN Fes is a Japanese food festival organization operating a platform of recurring outdoor and indoor events across 6 cities worldwide (New York, Paris, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Tokyo). The core offering is the JAPAN Fes Events program, supplemented by a Vendor Participation Program for food and merchandise sellers, a Volunteer Program with membership benefits, a Discord Community for engagement, J-KURU language learning group, and a Members Card loyalty program. Cultural activities including origami and Japanese calligraphy are also offered at events. The company organizes contests such as Ramen Contest and Konamon Contest as part of its event programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vendor Participation Program Application-based program that allows Japanese food and merchandise vendors to participate in JAPAN Fes events with a 10x10 booth, equipment rental, licensing/payment terminal support, and PR add-ons across multiple cities. Pricing is $500/day per food booth + 8% sales commission (20% in Houston for Japanese food vendors) and $300/day per non-food booth + 8% commission (20–25% in Houston), with a $100 non-refundable application deposit and settlement after the event.
• JAPAN Fes Events Recurring free-entry outdoor and indoor Japanese food and culture festivals held across New York, Paris, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, and Tokyo, featuring 60+ vendors offering 200+ Japanese food items plus cultural activities (origami, Japanese calligraphy) and contests. Targeted at food enthusiasts, Japanese expatriates, and cultural explorers.
• Equipment and Service Rentals for Vendors Rental services for festival vendors including tents ($150), tables, generators, grills, propane, induction cooktops, and burners; warehouse storage ($250/month), transportation ($300/round trip), commercial kitchen rental ($700 for 12 hours), and PR agency arrangement ($500/booth). Targeted at JAPAN Fes participating vendors needing logistical support.
• Premium PR and Marketing Services Optional premium marketing add-ons for vendors and sponsors including JAPAN Fes Instagram promotional posts ($1,000), influencer marketing ($1,000/person), stage setup ($10,000), full festival production ($10,000+), and individual event naming rights ($10,000). Subject to review and approval. Targeted at vendors and brands seeking heightened exposure at JAPAN Fes events.
• Press and Media Services Media coverage opportunities, press releases, and media pass requests for journalists and outlets covering JAPAN Fes events. Distributed via PR Newswire and supported by earned coverage in NY1, Fox 5 NY, Time Out, Carnegie Hall, France TV, Yahoo Japan, and TBS Japan. Targeted at journalists and media outlets covering food, culture, and lifestyle.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Kirishima Shuzo Co., Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2026Japan's top shochu distiller ranked first in domestic sales for 13 consecutive years, hosting 'KIRISHIMA Fes' promotional tasting event in New York on February 21, 2026. The event features shochu pairings with Miyazaki Wagyu beef, held in two sessions with 500 total attendees.
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) co-hosted the GOHAN Fes of 2022, supporting international expansion and promotion of Japanese food culture globally.
• Consulate General of Japan in New YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Consulate General of Japan in New York co-hosted the GOHAN Fes of 2022, providing official support and diplomatic endorsement for Japanese cultural events.
• ITO ENminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022ITO EN provided cooperation for 2022 events, supplying Japanese beverages for festival attendees.
• CalpicominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Calpico provided cooperation for 2019 events, contributing Japanese beverage products.
• Hokkaido GovernmentminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Hokkaido Government sponsored the J-NIGHT New Year Party of 2018, promoting regional Japanese products and cuisine.
• OtafukuminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Otafuku (Japanese sauce company) sponsored the Konamon Contest of 2018 and 2019, supporting regional Japanese food contests.
• AmnetminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Amnet sponsored the Ramen Contest of 2016 and 2017, supporting major Japanese food competitions.
• American AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016American Airlines sponsored the Ramen Contest of 2016, supporting vendor participation from Japan.
• KirinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Kirin provided cooperation for the Ramen Contest of 2016, supplying Japanese beer products.
• New York Mutual TradingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016New York Mutual Trading provided cooperation for the Ramen Contest, supplying Japanese food ingredients and products.
• Ozeki SakeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Ozeki Sake provided cooperation for the Ramen Contest of 2016, supplying sake products.
• JFC InternationalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016JFC International provided cooperation for the Ramen Contest of 2016, supporting Japanese food supply.
• Sun NoodleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016Sun Noodle provided cooperation for the Ramen Contest, supplying premium ramen noodles.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Melbourne Food and Wine Festival: Annual city-wide culinary festival featuring events, tastings, and chef-led programming in Melbourne. Comparable as a curated culinary festival event series, though operates on an annual/few-weeks cadence rather than JAPAN Fes' weekly/monthly model and is geographically separate (Australia).
• Taste of London: Premium ticketed food festival in Regent's Park, London, featuring curated restaurants, chef demos, and premium experiences. Comparable as a city-level curated food festival brand with cultural/culinary positioning, though operating in UK rather than US/France/Japan.

Direct peers

• Urbanspace: NYC-based food market operator running food halls and pop-up markets (Urbanspace Vanderbilt, Urbanspace Garment District). Comparable as a curated food-vendor marketplace operator in NYC physical venues, though more permanent-format than JAPAN Fes' temporary festival approach.
• Smorgasburg: Largest weekly open-air food market in the US, operating recurring weekend festivals in NYC and LA with vendor booth rentals and curated food vendors. Highly comparable business model: outdoor event frequency, vendor-paid participation, food-focused curation, and community-driven attendance.
• Brooklyn Flea: Long-running NYC weekend market combining food vendors, vintage, and crafts. Comparable in recurring-event cadence, NYC venue presence (Williamsburg, DUMBO), and vendor-paid participation model.
• Queens Night Market: Recurring outdoor food market in Queens, NYC, featuring curated vendors of diverse cuisines with low booth fees to enable small business participation. Same core model as JAPAN Fes: weekly outdoor cadence, vendor-paid booths, community/family attendance in a public NYC venue.
• Off the Grid: Bay Area operator of food truck events, night markets, and curated food festivals (e.g., Picnic on the Plaza). Closely comparable business of organizing recurring outdoor food events with vendor booth fees across multiple locations.

Others

• Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri at Brooklyn Botanic Garden): Annual Japanese cultural festival in NYC featuring food, performances, and cultural activities. Comparable as a Japanese cultural festival with food components, though run by a cultural institution rather than a commercial operator; useful adjacency for understanding the NYC Japanese-festival competitive set.

Broad incumbents

• Time Out Market: Global food hall and culinary event brand operating multi-vendor curated venues in NYC, Miami, Lisbon, Boston, and other cities. Comparable in curating multiple food vendors under one culturally-themed brand, though Time Out Market operates permanent venues rather than temporary outdoor festivals.
• Eataly: Italian-themed multi-vendor food marketplaces and restaurants in major global cities. Comparable as a national-cuisine themed food marketplace with strong cultural positioning, though Eataly is permanent-venue and significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JAPAN Fes New York