Ham The Fair is the largest amateur radio event in Japan, organized by JARL (Japan Amateur Radio League). The 48th edition will be held in 2026, which is also the year of the the centenary of the founding of the JARL itselfThe event traditionally brings together manufacturers, dealers, clubs and individual radio amateurs for a two-day meeting full of presentations, exhibition stands and special radio operations.
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Date and venue
Ham Fair 2026 sa koná v sobotu 29. augusta (10:00–17:00 JST) a v nedeľu 30. augusta (10:00–15:30 JST). V prvý deň je naplánovaný slávnostný ceremoniál s prestrihnutím pásky okolo 9:45, po ktorom sa areál otvára verejnosti — otváracia doba sa preto môže mierne líšiť.
The venue is ARIAKE GYM-EX in Tokyo. The nearest station is St. Ariake-Tennis-no-mori on the Yurikamome Line (about a 5-minute walk) or Kokusai-tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line (about a 17-minute walk). Organizers recommend using public transportation as heavy traffic and crowded parking lots are expected in the area. For pedestrians, it is recommended to approach from the north side of the road, not the south.
Video: Tokyo Ham Fair
Program Tokyo Ham Fair
The program is divided into a main stage, a satellite stage, a building competition for your own structures, workshops and a raffle, as well as a large exhibition area divided into areas A to F. The Poster Exhibits are located in area A. The relaxation areas, which last year offered approximately 400 m², have been expanded this year to more than 600 m² in areas D and E, in response to visitor demand. Food trucks will also be available on site.
Entrance fee
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Regular entry | 2,000 yen |
| JARL member (must show membership card) | 1,000 JPY |
| Disability certificate | 1,000 JPY |
| Youth under 22 years old | free (must prove age at checkout) |
The accompanying person of a visitor with a disability has free admission (valid for one person). When purchasing a ticket at the box office, it is necessary to report this fact to the staff.
Special station 8J1HAM
Pri príležitosti Ham Fair 2026 prevádzkuje JARL špeciálnu pamätnú stanicu 8J1HAM. prevádzka prebieha v dvoch fázach: propagačná prevádzka pred podujatím a prevádzka priamo z miesta konania. Počas propagačnej fázy, mimo areálu podujatia, ide o prenosnú/mobilnú prevádzku s prívlastkom „/1″ alebo „/P“ (teda 8J1HAM/1 alebo 8J1HAM/P), a to na rôznych frekvenciách a módoch podľa uváženia operátorov.
Trasa propagačnej prevádzky postupne prechádza japonskými prefektúrami: po otváracom ceremoniáli v júli 2026 nasleduje Kanagawa, Yamanashi, Gunma, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Saitama a napokon Tokio, kde stanica zostáva From 21. do 28. augusta pred tým, než 29. a 30. augusta vysiela priamo z miesta Ham Fair.
QSL cards for station 8J1HAM are processed exclusively through the JARL bureau (one-way bureau service).
Presentations - overview of topics
The Satellite Stage offers a series of short talks, demonstrations and public recordings on both days, without the need for reservations. The Saturday program (August 29) includes, for example, talks on the use of AI in contesting (JH5GHM), AI-assisted software development for satellites and ARDF (JF9SOM, using the FBSAT59 project as an example), young people and amateur radio in Europe (DK6SP), portable prevádzke z ostrovov Izu (JR1UJX), aplikácii pre logovanie na smartfóne HAM Contact Support (JL1BYR), CW súťaži (A1CLUB JO1ZZZ) a podpore satelitnej prevádzky QO-100 for the Cambodian club XU7AMO (JA3GEP).
The Sunday program (August 30) brings topics such as the current state of DMR in Japan (JG1DKJ), a report from the YOTA 2026 summer camp in Austria (JL1DGW), an analysis of first-class exam questions from the post-war period (JK1FNL), license-free operation with a power of 10 mW (JR1WNM), portable operation on the 1200 MHz band with IC-905XG (JH1DUK), FreeDV digital voice mode on HF bands (JK1HNV), the Smart HAMLOG application for working with Turbo HAMLOG data on a smartphone (JK1TBL), and tactile Morse code for the deaf-blind as part of the "+14dB" project (JK1FNN).
The main stage on Saturday is mainly dedicated to 100th anniversary of JARL — opens with a discussion by JARL President Koji Morita (JA5SUD) on the future of the organization, followed by the 25th anniversary of school connections with astronauts on the ISS (ARISS-Japan), fifty years of research into Jupiter's radio emissions (JA5DMF Kazumasa Imai), a technical lecture on antennas by JAIA, and the award ceremony for the JARL All Japan and All World 10,000 Stations, the domestic design competition, and the winners of the JARL contests. Sunday's main stage program includes a meeting of young radio amateurs (Junior Ham Gathering), svet round-tables (roll calls) na viacerých pásmach a módoch, prezentáciu ARDC o podpore inovácií (KJ7RYV Rosy Schechter) a slávnostné odovzdávanie cien 43. Kanto UHF contest.
Conclusion
Ham Fair 2026 spája oslavu stého výročia JARL s tradičným formátom najväčšieho japonského rádioamatérskeho stretnutia — bohatým výstavným programom, technickými prednáškami pokrývajúcimi satelity, contesting, DIGIMODES aj históriu skúšok, a napokon aj vlastnou pamätnou stanicou 8J1HAM, ktorá putuje japonskými prefektúrami už mesiace pred samotným podujatím. Pre zahraničných návštevníkov je dôležité počítať s tým, že programy na pódiách prebiehajú prevažne v japončine, výstavná časť a informačné materiály sú však dostupné aj v angličtine.