Takko Town is located about 1.5-2 hours west of Misawa City. Since it was our first time to attend the festival, we opted to purchase advance tickets from Misawa AB ITT office because they advertised that one would not be able to participate without a ticket. In hindsight, we would have forgone the ¥2000 cost of each ticket and purchased meat and vegetables at the festival. The ¥2000 pre-paid ticket included a raffle ticket, a souvenir bag, mixed veggies (mostly cabbage, onions, carrots, and green pepper), a vile of garlic meat sauce, a bulb of Takko garlic, a package of beef (incidentally sticker priced at ¥250), chopsticks, and a small paper plate. Different grades of and quantities of meat were available for purchase and a free garlic sauce was offered inside the 229 Dome. In addition, different vendors sold other types of food.
For the first time attendee (and those not adept with chopsticks), I would recommend bringing tongs for the meat, a spatula for the veggies, a small knife to slice garlic cloves, larger and sturdier paper places, eating utensils, a small jar of cooking oil (unless you prefer the cow lard that is provided), and rice or noodles to compliment the meal. There are plenty of grills inside and outside of the dome; one just has to wait for them to open. Unfortunately, there is no set time limit. Arrive early because there may be a chance that the meat will sell out in the afternoon.
I’ve heard some people say they’re glad they did it once but probably wouldn’t do it again because of the long drive. It took us a little over two hours to get there. If you have young children, I would suggest arriving early and then stopping off at Nanbu Town to climb the Dragon Tower and relax a little before returning to Misawa.
