The Japan Podcast Festival 2026 announced in Akasaka
Japan Podcast Festival 2026 has been announced as one of the largest-scale podcast events in Japan. It will run for two days in the Akasaka area of Tokyo, aiming to turn the entire neighborhood into a “podcast theme park” and position podcasting as a broader cultural event.
The centerpiece is a series of public recording stage events featuring around 35 podcasts, alongside additional programs across the area.
What stands out is the range of participants: it’s not just independent creators. The lineup includes major Japanese radio broadcasters and a Japanese TV broadcaster (TV Tokyo), alongside well-known independent podcasts. That breadth is a meaningful marker of podcasts becoming more mainstream in Japan.
When and where
- Dates: March 14 (Sat) and March 15 (Sun), 2026
- Location: Akasaka, Tokyo. Akasaka Sacas Square, plus other venues and participating stores/facilities across the Akasaka area
- Participating shows: approx. 35 (from celebrity-led shows to independent creators)
- Expected attendance: approx. 30,000
- Organizer: Japan Podcast Festival Operating Office
The official site plans to publish the event timetable and messages from participating shows, with further updates to follow.
This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. We may make small edits for editorial reasons.