Fresh sushi/seafood was probably the thing I was looking forward to the most when we decided to make Japan the first stop on our journey. It did not disappoint – the freshness and quality of the sushi was amazing.
My favorite place to eat sushi was in the local markets. In these markets you could buy fresh, delicious fish for a reasonable price. What follows is my quick-take on each of the markets that we visited in Japan.
Kyoto’s Nishiki Market
Niskhiki Market was the first “traditional” market that we visited on the trip. The market has been around for over 400 years in one form or another. I can see why with the variety of fresh fish, vegetables, and sweets that are offered throughout.
The market is a covered, pedestrian street that is ~5 blocks long (.5 miles). Depending on the time of day that you walk through the market, it can be a bit overwhelming as the street can get quite crowded.
The seafood shops/kiosks were my favorite part of the market. The quality and variety of items to select from was amazing. During our time in Kyoto, I ate at the market four different times. I tried everything from squid on a stick to take-away sushi to a sit-down lunch in a restaurant hidden behind a fresh seafood shop. I probably would have eaten every meal here if the market was open for breakfast and dinner.
My favorite place to eat sushi was in the local markets. In these markets you could buy fresh, delicious fish for a reasonable price. What follows is my quick-take on each of the markets that we visited in Japan.
Kyoto’s Nishiki Market
Niskhiki Market was the first “traditional” market that we visited on the trip. The market has been around for over 400 years in one form or another. I can see why with the variety of fresh fish, vegetables, and sweets that are offered throughout.
The market is a covered, pedestrian street that is ~5 blocks long (.5 miles). Depending on the time of day that you walk through the market, it can be a bit overwhelming as the street can get quite crowded.
The seafood shops/kiosks were my favorite part of the market. The quality and variety of items to select from was amazing. During our time in Kyoto, I ate at the market four different times. I tried everything from squid on a stick to take-away sushi to a sit-down lunch in a restaurant hidden behind a fresh seafood shop. I probably would have eaten every meal here if the market was open for breakfast and dinner.
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Kanazawa’s Omi-cho Market
Kanazawa was a last-minute addition to our trip after talking with friends from the US that we met up with in Kyoto. It also did not hurt that we had seen Anthony Bordain eat a giant oyster from this market during his Japan “Parts Unknown” episode.
While this market feels smaller than both Kyoto’s and Tokyo’s, the freshness and variety of seafood here was unrivaled. My favorite meal in Japan was purchased from several vendors in this market. My meal consisted of a giant oyster, raw scallops in a shell, barbequed octopus, and an assortment of sashimi. Tracy had a giant oyster, sea urchin, barbequed scallops, and grapefruit juice straight from the fruit. Of all the food items that I ate in Japan, the raw scallops were my favorite.
Kanazawa was a last-minute addition to our trip after talking with friends from the US that we met up with in Kyoto. It also did not hurt that we had seen Anthony Bordain eat a giant oyster from this market during his Japan “Parts Unknown” episode.
While this market feels smaller than both Kyoto’s and Tokyo’s, the freshness and variety of seafood here was unrivaled. My favorite meal in Japan was purchased from several vendors in this market. My meal consisted of a giant oyster, raw scallops in a shell, barbequed octopus, and an assortment of sashimi. Tracy had a giant oyster, sea urchin, barbequed scallops, and grapefruit juice straight from the fruit. Of all the food items that I ate in Japan, the raw scallops were my favorite.
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Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market (Outer)
Of all the markets that we visited, the Tsukiji Fish Market is probably the most famous. There are two parts to this market – the “outer” market and the wholesale market. The wholesale market is where the famous tuna action takes place early in the morning. We missed this as I was not about to get up at 3 am to see it.
We arrived around 11 am when the wholesale area was closing up, but the “outer” market was full of activity. Unlike the other markets, restaurants were the primary way to buy sushi rather than from small vendors selling sushi and other fresh seafood. I preferred the other markets in this aspect as they were less commercialized and much cheaper.
Of all the markets that we visited, the Tsukiji Fish Market is probably the most famous. There are two parts to this market – the “outer” market and the wholesale market. The wholesale market is where the famous tuna action takes place early in the morning. We missed this as I was not about to get up at 3 am to see it.
We arrived around 11 am when the wholesale area was closing up, but the “outer” market was full of activity. Unlike the other markets, restaurants were the primary way to buy sushi rather than from small vendors selling sushi and other fresh seafood. I preferred the other markets in this aspect as they were less commercialized and much cheaper.
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Final Rankings
In conclusion, if I had to rate the markets I would rate them as follows: 1) Kanazawa, 2) Kyoto, and 3) Tokyo.
In conclusion, if I had to rate the markets I would rate them as follows: 1) Kanazawa, 2) Kyoto, and 3) Tokyo.