From Saturday, November 14 to Monday, November 23, 2026 (a national holiday), for a total of 10 days, Mitsui Outlet Park Sendai Port (三井アウトレットパーク 仙台港) in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, hosts "Chinese Steamed Bun Expo 2026" (中華まん博覧会2026). The event brings together well-known regional Chinese-style steamed buns (chūkaman) from across Japan, along with a wide variety of other steamed buns.
About the Chinese Steamed Bun Expo
The Chinese Steamed Bun Expo (中華まん博覧会) is built around the concept of "regional gourmet food you can eat with one hand." It gathers regional steamed buns that can only be eaten at their places of origin, so that visitors can compare the flavors of different regions in one place. It is a limited-time food event, and this is its first edition in the Tohoku region.
When previously held in the Kanto region, the event drew 50,000 visitors over 11 days, and 90,000 regional steamed buns were consumed. It is described as one of the largest food events in Japan to put Chinese steamed buns at the center.
November is known as Shimotsuki (霜月, "frost month"), and late November falls within Shōsetsu (小雪), a period of the traditional 24 solar terms. It is the time of year when snow begins to fall in northern regions and mountain areas, and people start preparing for the full onset of winter. The expo is held outdoors, with steam rising from the hot buns as temperatures drop.
Event Details
- Event: Chinese Steamed Bun Expo 2026 (中華まん博覧会2026)
- Supported by: Sendai City
- Dates: Saturday, November 14 to Monday, November 23, 2026 (national holiday), 10 days in total
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Venue: Mitsui Outlet Park Sendai Port, 1F, outside the main entrance
- Mitsui Outlet Park Sendai Port website: https://mitsui-shopping-park.com/mop/sendai/
- Chinese Steamed Bun Expo website: https://j-gourmet.jp/cmh/
Participating Shops (7 Shops)
Seven shops take part: six guest booths gathering regional specialties from around Japan and one souvenir shop. Together they offer more than 100 kinds of regional steamed buns.
1. Iwasaki Honpo (岩崎本舗), Nagayo Town, Nagasaki Prefecture
Iwasaki Honpo is a well-known shop that created "Nagasaki Kakuni Manju" (長崎角煮まんじゅう). The idea was to let more people enjoy "tonpōrō" (東坡肉, braised pork belly), a dish from Nagasaki's traditional shippoku cuisine (卓袱料理), more easily and deliciously. The buns are now called a must-try food for tourists as a Nagasaki specialty.
Main items: Nagasaki Kakuni Manju, Ōtoro Kakuni Manju (大とろ角煮まんじゅう), Cheese Kakuni Manju (チーズ角煮まんじゅう), and more
2. 胡庵, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture (Hakata Mizutaki-Style Motsunabe)
This is a takeout-only shop in a residential area of Fukuoka City. "Motsuman" (もつ萬) was born in 2010 as a new specialty of the motsunabe (offal hot pot) restaurant. The owner wanted to let people enjoy offal easily, to create a dish unlike any before, and to make a new soul food for Hakata. Motsuman was completed after many trial batches.
The new item for 2026 is inspired by the Italian dish trippa (tripe).
Main items: Motsuman, Trippao (トリッパオ, a bun filled with beef honeycomb tripe in a pizza-style filling), and more
3. Yoshiyasu Butaman (よしやすぶたまん), Kushiro City, Hokkaido
A regular exhibitor at the Chinese Steamed Bun Expo, with a line that rarely lets up. Made by the butcher workshop Yoshiyasu (食肉工房よしやす), these "Kushiro-born regional buns" make the most of the meat of a neighborhood butcher and Hokkaido ingredients. Each one is generously filled and shows creative touches.
Main items: Butaman (pork bun), Cheese-man (チーズまん), Anbutter-man (あんバターまん, venue-exclusive), and more
4. 豚饅茶屋 花花 (Fāfā), Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
The shop is known for a jumbo pork bun, with a firm, chewy skin supporting a richly flavored meat filling, and for its signature "Age Butamanjū" (揚げ豚まんじゅう, fried pork bun). The fried bun is wrapped in a spring-roll wrapper, combining a crispy skin with chewy dough. It is made with a technique unique to the shop.
Main items: Age Butamanjū (fried pork bun), and more
5. 台湾手作り 天香 (Tenshan), Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture
The shop serves a range of Taiwanese dim sum made by a female owner and dim sum chef from Taiwan. For this Sendai edition, in addition to Taiwanese meat buns, regional Taiwanese buns that are little known in Japan will appear. They include "Ba-wan" (バーワン), which gained attention in an anime and has a very chewy skin, and the filling-free "Yōjō Manjū" (養生饅頭).
Main items: Taiwanese meat bun, pepper bun (胡椒まん), Ba-wan, Yōjō Manjū
6. Expo-Exclusive Shop: Rumored Chinese Steamed Bun Workshop (噂の中華まん工房)
A shop planned specifically for the Chinese Steamed Bun Expo. Its lineup includes "Yaki Nikuman" (焼き肉まん) and "Soup Nikuman" (スープ肉まん), arranged versions of the "nikuman" (meat bun) that became a hot topic on social media, supervised by professional chefs. It also carries 山珍の豚まん (Okayama), which has a one-year wait when ordered by mail, and the premium brand-beef "Matsusaka Beef Man" (松阪牛まん).
Main items: Yaki Nikuman, Soup Nikuman (minestrone, clam chowder), and more
7. Regional Chinese Steamed Bun Souvenir Shop (ご当地中華まん土産店)
The popular souvenir shop lines its showcases with as many as 80 kinds of regional buns. The lineup is carefully chosen and gathers a wide variety from across Japan, including buns made with branded meats, the "three great wagyu" (三大和牛), and regional ingredients, as well as nikuman and butaman from well-known local shops.
Featured Regional Chinese Steamed Buns
These buns are sold at the Rumored Chinese Steamed Bun Workshop (6) and the Regional Chinese Steamed Bun Souvenir Shop (7).
Venue Layout Map
The numbers on the map match the shop numbers above.
Access
Venue: Mitsui Outlet Park Sendai Port, 3-7-2 Nakano, Miyagino Ward, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
- By train: About an 8-minute walk from Nakanosakae Station (中野栄駅) on the JR Senseki Line
- By bus: From Sendai Station West Exit Bus Stop No. 50, take a bus bound for "Sendai Port Ferry" (仙台港フェリー) and get off at "Outlet Sendai Port" (アウトレット仙台港)
- By car: Free parking is available (hours of use 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM), about 2.5 km from Sendai Port IC (仙台港IC)
Details are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
