YES! WE ARE BACK WITH A “LITE” VERSION OF OUR GINZA HOLIDAY FESTIVAL!

It’s been three years since our last Ginza Holiday and we decided to restart with a smaller event – but don’t worry our famous Chicken Teriyaki will be available as well as performances by Ginza’s popular entertainers.

  • When is Ginza Lite?

    • Aug 13: 11:30am – 5pm
    • Aug 14: 11:30am – 4pm
    • (Grilled items available starting at 11:45am)

  • Where is Ginza Lite?

    • MBT Parking Lot
    • 435 W. Menomonee, Chicago 60614

  • Features of Ginza Lite

    • Entry to Ginza Lite is FREE
    • Performances by Minyo & Taiko groups
    • Chicken Teriyaki and other items on sale for “Dine-in” or “Take-home”
    • NEW THIS YEAR: Starting July 25th you can PRE-ORDER Ginza Lite food online! (see details in the Pre-Order section below)

What’s on the menu?

Menu items that are available at GINZA LITE

  • Chicken Teriyaki Dinner ($15) includes 1/2 Chicken Teriyaki, rice, and coleslaw
  • Veggie Burger Dinner ($10) includes Teriyaki Marinated Veggie Burger, rice, coleslaw, and edamame
  • Hawaiian Shave Ice ($5) Finely shaved ice topped with your choice of syrup
  • Assorted Soft Drinks ($2) Ice-Tea/Lemonade (16oz cup), Coke/Diet Coke (12oz can), Water (1/2 liter bottle)
  • (beginning July 25 you can Pre-Order for any of these items – see below)

Entertainment

As we mentioned, we are restarting small which in the case of performances means we will not open our large stage. Instead our performances will be “ground-level” with standing room reserved for the audience. This will be a more intimate, close up, chance to experience performances. The following groups will perform at Ginza Lite (the schedule will be announced at a later time).

MBT Minyo

MBT Taiko

Ho Etsu Taiko

PRE-ORDER GINZA LITE FOOD

Starting this year customers can PRE-ORDER menu items for pickup at GINZA LITE. Why should you PRE-ORDER? Quantities of chicken teriyaki are limited and may sell out. By Pre-ordering you will make sure your chicken teriyaki dinner is reserved for your enjoyment!

How Does Pre-Ordering Work?

  • Using our new Pre-Order page select items and quantities.
  • Choose which day you will attend Ginza Lite – When you pay for items in your shopping cart you can select either Aug 13 or Aug 14 for your pickup day.
  • Pickup your food at Ginza Lite – On the day you selected, stop at our Ticket Booth (dedicated line for Online Orders) to get tickets. With tickets in hand you can proceed to pickup your food and beverages.
  • Dine-in or Take-home – We will have a dine-in section set up and we invite you to stay, visit with friends and catch a performance.
PRE ORDERING IS NOT AVAILABLE YET 

PRE-ORDER STARTS JULY 25

ABOUT GINZA LITE

Due to the pandemic we cancelled our Ginza Holiday Festival in 2020 and 2021. Of course we were disappointed and we’ve heard from many people about how much they’ve missed our festival. It hardly feels like summer in Lincoln Park without the thunderous sounds of taiko drums or the irresistible aroma of Chicken Teriyaki on the grill.

In 2022, even though many things are opening up, it’s still a challenge to organize and present a festival like Ginza. After much thought we came up with the idea of GINZA LITE – a scaled down version that still focuses on our delicious CHICKEN TERIYAKI while providing some entertainment that people look forward to each year.

Thank you for your support and understanding, our hope is that GINZA LITE is our first step in returning to a full Ginza Holiday Festival in 2023 and beyond.

Here is a summary of GINZA LITE and how it is different from a normal GINZA HOLIDAY FESTIVAL.

What’s “IN” Ginza Lite:

  • Free entrance to Ginza Lite
  • Chicken Teriyaki and veggie dinners freshly grilled
  • Shave ice and an assortment of soft drinks
  • Eat-in dining set up in our parking lot or you can take your dinners home
  • PRE-ORDER sales of our menu items – WE RECOMMEND PRE-ORDERING SO YOU WON’T MISS OUT!
  • Entertainment provided by MBT Minyo, MBT Taiko, and Ho Etsu Taiko (performances will be “ground-level” with standing room for audiences)
  • Portable toilet and handwashing facilities available

What’s “DIFFERENT”

  • No cultural displays or craft vendors
  • The WAZA will not be able to participate
  • Our permanent stage will not be open – performances will be on “ground-level”
  • Sushi, udon and corn-on-the-cob will not be available
  • No alcoholic beverages will be sold
  • The temple building will be closed to the public (no tours or access to indoor facilities)

Please understand that many of these missing features are a result of the pandemic still affecting availability of resources – we hope to return these features next year.