Freshness Explosion! The best places to get Japanese seafood ocean-to-table
Seafood is one of the most recognised and beloved parts of Japanese cuisine. Everyone knows what sushi is, and many people are fans of fish like salmon or tuna, commonplace in Japanese restaurants the world over. But take a step further into the shallow waters of culinary delights, and you’ll find not just a pool—but an ocean’s worth of seafood varieties from all over Japan!
If you've ever written a Japan travel checklist, you’ve probably had a line in there somewhere like: “Eat fresh sushi”. But what does “fresh” fish or sushi even mean, and can it really be all that better than just “regular” fish? As it turns out, yes! The difference can be so dramatic, that an entire burgeoning sector of Japan’s tourism industry is dedicated to it, drawing food enthusiasts and travellers eager to savour the unique types of seafood available across the country.
So if you’re keen on making the jump from sushi fan to aficionado, and want to travel the land in search of Japanese seafood so fresh it might as well have leaped from the ocean right onto your plate—then this article is for you!
For the freshest Tuna—Aomori!!
You’ll have plenty of oppor-tuna-ties to feast on delicious fish in Aomori! (Image credit: photoAC)
We’ll start this list with one of the heavyweights of Japanese seafood cuisine, the mighty tuna! Easily the most recognised type of sushi alongside salmon, tuna is actually much more native to Japan itself, caught domestically at several ports across the country. The undisputed king of tuna fishing is Aomori Prefecture (青森県 Aomori-ken), which hauls in more bluefin tuna than anywhere else in Japan. The tuna caught around Cape Oma, in particular, are known colloquially as “Black Diamonds”, due to the staggering prices they can sometimes fetch in fish market auctions.
You can get to Shin-Aomori Station (新青森駅) via a 3-hour 17-minute ride on the Tōhoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線) from Tokyo Station (東京駅). If you’re desperate to get some good tuna as soon as you arrive from the trip, head on over to Aomori City (青森市 Aomori-shi) and have your fill at the Aomori Gyosai Center (青森魚菜センター), where you can build-your-own-bowl for just ¥2000! If you have the patience to travel a bit further north to truly soak in the fishing grounds of the majestic tuna, then Cape Oma (大間崎 Ōmasaki) is the place to be! You can experience a full dive into the Oma region in our other article here!
For the freshest Scallops—Hokkaido!!
A trip to Hokkaido is always a “Shell” of a good time! (Image credit: photoAC)
It should come to no one’s surprise that Hokkaido (北海道 Hokkaidō) is renowned for its seafood, thanks to being both the northernmost prefecture and the prefecture with the longest coastline. Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and the Okhotsk Sea, Hokkaido is a paradise of seafood and home to varieties such as sea urchin, salmon and snow crabs. Among all of these, however, one type of seafood native to this region that is consistently prized and sought after is Hokkaido’s sea scallops!
Sometimes known affectionately as “Jumbo Scallops” due to their size and juiciness, Hokkaido sea scallops have a distinct plumpness and sweetness thanks to the nutritious seawater they thrive in, and several spots in the prefecture may lay claim to having the best kind of scallop. For convenience, the Hakodate Morning Market (函館朝市 Hakodate Asaichi) may be the best place to sample many types of Hokkaido sea scallops brought in from the various fisheries in the region—grilled, steamed, or served raw on a steaming bowl of rice. For an in-depth dive into other places in Hokkaido to get a fresh catch of scallop, check out this article here.
For the freshest Eel—Shizuoka!!
Lake Hamama is also an underrated spot to view the eel-usive Mount Fuji (Image credit: photoAC)
Unagi (ウナギ freshwater eel) is a delicacy that while not all that popular in the cuisines of most other countries, features ubiquitously in Japan. Regarded as a “stamina food", unagi is at its most popular in the summer months, when gratuitous boosts of energy are needed to power through the blistering heat.
The birthplace of eel farming is said to be located in Lake Hamanako (浜名湖), next to the city of Hamamatsu (浜松市 Hamamatsu-shi) in Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡 Shizuoka-ken). Hamamatsu City is a 1-hour 30-minute ride on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, and is chock-full of restaurants specialising in freshwater eel dishes! Need help figuring out a way to slot Hamamatsu into your itinerary? We have the perfect article for you, making use of the Mt. Fuji-Shizuoka Area Tourist Pass Mini!
For the freshest Shrimp—Toyama!
Visit Toyama Bay for good sushi. It’s a shrimp-le decision, really. (Image credit: photoAC)
Aka-ebi, ama-ebi, Botan-ebi… so many types of ebi (えび shrimp) to choose from! The most common ingredient used to make tempura, plump and intensely flavourful shrimp can also fetch premium prices when served in sushi restaurants. While shrimp can be caught in many coastlines in Japan, an excellent spot filled to the brim with shrimp of both quality and variety is Toyama Bay(富山湾 Toyama-wan).
Located conveniently on the edge of Toyama City (富山 Toyama-shi), at the 2-hour mark on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line from Tokyo Station, Toyama Bay has been likened to by many as a “natural fish tank”, as the deep depths of the bay play host to hundreds of varieties of fish and shellfish. Most prominent of all the shrimp available here are the near translucent white shiroebi, also known as the “Jewel of Toyama Bay”. Stop by Toyama and you'l, be able to enjoy shiroebi in a variety of ways, such as in a kakiage tempura or as a topping on your donburi!
Do we have a guide on the shrimps and other seafood in Toyama Bay, you ask…you bet we do!
For the freshest Oysters—Miyagi!!
Whether you like them raw, grilled, boiled, or served with ice cream, all of Matsushima Bay is your oyster! (Image credit: photoAC)
Oysters are yet another type of shellfish famous in many parts of Japan, such as Hiroshima (広島) or Hyogo (兵庫). But If you’re in Tokyo during your next autumn trip and have a craving for some of the cheapest and freshest oysters you’ve ever had, then look no further than Matsushima Bay (松島湾 Matsushima-wan), in Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県 Miyagi-ken)!
Reachable in just under 2 hours by train from Tokyo, Matsushima Bay is hailed as one of the Three Great Views of Japan, in no small part to the hundreds of picturesque islands that dot its waters, which can be viewed from either onboard a leisurely 40-minute cruise ride or from the tatami mats of a teahouse perched on the cliffside. These same waters are also teeming with scores of Miyagi oysters, harvested throughout the Autumn and Winter periods and served by the bucket in oyster shacks around the coast. If All-you-can-eat-oyster is a phrase that gets you going…you should check out how to get there in this article here!
To tide you over until your next trip, why not check our next giveaway by JAPAN RAIL CAFE?
Hungry for seafood now? Stand a chance to win your very own basket of fish-y goodies! (Image credit: JAPAN RAIL CAFE)
Now that you have the cursory knowledge needed for your next Japan seafood holiday, all that’s left is to pack your napkins and plan your next trip! But if you can’t wait for a good helping of Japanese seafood, JAPAN RAIL CAFE Singapore is currently holding a month-long celebration of all things delicious from the sea this February 2024!
To start off, we’ll be doing a free sampling of various kinds of canned Japanese seafood in JAPAN RAIL CAFE from 11am to 2pm daily! In addition, we’re giving away Japanese seafood-themed food hampers to two lucky winners in a contest held on JAPAN RAIL CAFE’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. The key to winning the contest is hidden somewhere in this article, so head on over to our social media accounts and snag yourself a basket full of goodies right now!
JAPAN RAIL CAFE
Address: 5 Wallich Street #01-19/20 Singapore 078883
Nearest station: Tanjong Pagar MRT
Opening hours: 11am–9pm (Monday–Thursday), 11am–9:30pm (Friday–Saturday), 11am–8pm (Sunday)
The contest will be held from 1—29 February. Winners must reside in Singapore and be available to collect their prizes in-person at JAPAN RAIL CAFE.
Header Image Credit: photoAC
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