Credits to Research Team Nurul Husna
Prefecture this week: Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki

A highlight of a trip to Shimonoseki is an early-morning visit to the Karato fish market. It might sound like a very boring trip to the fish market but you will definitely be amazed! Karato market is famous for its blowfish and lively atmosphere. It will definitely be a trip that you can’t forget!

Going to the Karato market provides a great opportunity for you to try sashimi for breakfast or lunch, and the fish there doesn’t get any fresher. Fresh seafood bowls and sushi are sold at the market using their fresh catch of the morning. There is even a cafeteria on the second level loved by the people that sells set meals as well as fresh sushi at a reasonable price which operates every day. Besides that, the second floor is also popular as it looks down on the entire market! Tourists and even locals can experience the market’s exhilarating ambience of the men working there and the voices of the sellers echoing across the market.

The usual energetic atmosphere of Karato Market is increases when the amount of people doubles for the Ikiiki (Lively) Bakangai which only appears on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. In the intermediate wholesaler section on the first floor, you can find 20 different shops situated right next to each other, selling sushi, seafood bowls and blowfish soup. Sushi is sold at an astonishing price for as low as 100 yen and seafood bowls for as low as 500 yen! Food sold at the market is available for takeout, so on a clear and sunny day, you can take your food to one of the promenades close to the market and savour it while enjoying the view of the ocean.

Other than enjoying the fresh seafood available at the market, tourists can also learn a thing or two about the different types of seafood sold there. After the stock for business has been traded at 7am, vendors would take the time to explain to tourists about the different kinds of fish, how to eat them as well as the recommendations of the day. Tourists will also get a chance to see fishes that they might not be able to find back in their homeland too.

So, a trip to the Karato Market will not only make our bellies full but also makes our brain full of new knowledge! All in all, a trip to the fish market might not actually be boring!