Meet Jones Dairy Farm
at Costco for Porktoberfest 2021

Come and meet the Jones Dairy Farm team at seven Costco locations across Japan in our Porktoberfest roadshow to join special events and get exclusive giveaways and Costco discounts. Please note that one of the stops, at the famous Japan Bacon Festival (Ooh! Bacon Festival) in Kofu, October 22 – 24, 2021, has been cancelled due to covid-19. Jones Dairy Farm has proudly been a sponsor of the Japan Bacon Festival since its inception in 2017, providing over 1 tonne of free bacon samples in collaboration with Berkwood Farms each year, and we look forward to seeing you at the festival in 2022!

Meet Jones Dairy Farm at the following Costco locations to celebrate Porktoberfest across October and November

Nonoichi, Ishikawa 10/4-10/8
Imizu, Toyama 10/11-10/15
Kaminoyama, Yamagata 10/25-29
Ishikari, Hokkaido 11/1-11/5
Kisarazu, Chiba 11/10-11/14
Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 11/17-11/21
Tomiya, Miyagi 11/24-11/28

History of the Japan Bacon Festival (postponed until 2022)

The festival is just another way that Yamanashi celebrates its love of American pork. It all started when Iowa and Yamanashi became sister-states in 1960. In 1959, Yamanashi Prefecture was devastated by two typhoons in less than one month. An American Air Force sergeant from Iowa, Sergeant Richard Thomas, was living in Yamanashi at the time and arranged to have support flown over from the U.S. in order to help revive the local livestock industry. Iowa farmers rounded up 35 pigs and 100,000 bushels of corn, all flown over by the American Air Force. This event gave rise to the first sister-state relationship between Japan and America in 1960 and has resulted in countless business and educational activities between the two states ever since. By 1962, those 35 pigs multiplied to over 500 and now most pigs in Japan trace their lineage back to those original 35.

Yamanashi has continued to celebrate the Hog Lift and further strengthen their bonds with Iowa through the annual OOOH! Bacon Festival in Kofu. The festival is a collaboration with the Iowan Blue Ribbon Festival which began in 2008 and the Junior Chamber International Kofu (JCIK). The event doubled in size after its first year and now receives an annual attendance of around 25,000 people over its two days.

What’s on at Porktoberfest?

Live entertainment, bacon samples from Jones Dairy Farm, bacon inspired cuisine from over 20 local restaurants, bacon eating contests and the annual Bacon Queen Pageant are just some of the highlights. Meet Jones Dairy Farm there in 2022!

Join us for Porktober Fest at Costo locations across Japan!

OOOH! Bacon Festival 2021, which was expected to be held at Kasuga Street and Central Kofu Pedestrian Mall on October 22 – 24, is now canelled due to covid-19. We’ll see you next year! You can still catch Jones Dairy Farm at Costco locations across Japan as part of our grand Porktoberfest roadshow.

Nonoichi, Ishikawa 10/4-10/8
Imizu, Toyama 10/11-10/15
Kaminoyama, Yamagata 10/25-29
Ishikari, Hokkaido 11/1-11/5
Kisarazu, Chiba 11/10-11/14
Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 11/17-11/21
Tomiya, Miyagi 11/24-11/28

*Please be aware that these dates may change due to covid-19