Book your tickets: The fifth Japanese spinoff of the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival is set for early April in Kofu, about two hours west of Tokyo. It coincides with (or piggybacks on) the city’s annual Shingenko Festival, the world’s biggest gathering of samurai. All those warriors and an estimated 50,000 others can visit 30-some booths to sample everything from pork yakisoba to pulled-pork sandwiches from Troy’s American BBQ, a restaurant run by Kalona native Troy Miller. Pro tip from festival founder Brooks Reynolds: Try the octopus pancake balls. They’re just like the real deal but with pork instead.
