Breakfast at the Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market
Miyagi is Well-Known for Food
Miyagi Prefecture is well known for the abundance, variety, and quality of different food available here. From vegetables and produce like strawberries and Sendai Seri and local specialties such as Gyutan and Zunda, this is a foodie’s paradise. Which is another reason we love it in Sendai. And one of our favorites is the seafood. From local stores to the famous Asaichi Market, seafood is fresh and abundant here. And there is no better place for it than the famous Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market.
The Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market
Shiogama is a small town on the east coast of Japan, just north of Sendai. It is easily accessible by car and only a short train ride from Sendai Station. We first heard of the fish market from friends we met at the Sakura Festival earlier this year. They highly recommended that we check it out, so a while back on a Saturday morning, we took them up on it. The train ride to Shiogama took about 30 minutes. From the Shin-Shiogama station, it is only a short bus ride to the Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market.
From the outside, the Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market is not overly impressive. Housed in a non-descript building a block from the Shiogama waterfront, it looks like many other buildings on the waterfront. Only the busy parking lot indicates this is something a little different.
Home of the Maguro Tuna Fleet
We headed straight for the main entrance and found ourselves in a cavernous building bustling with activity. Shiogama is the home port of the Japanese Maguro Tuna fleet. And it was hard to miss a few specimens being carted around, or sawn and cut into smaller pieces for sale. Goma and Pixel (our two Neko) would have loved it! But the variety of fresh seafood available for purchase attracts more than tuna lovers. The Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market is primarily used by restaurants and smaller markets. Still, it is open to the general public as well.
When you first enter the building, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of stalls and vendors. Take the time to walk around and check out the different options. Some vendors specialize in a particular type of fish or seafood, others offer a wider variety. Because the market is open to the public, many vendors provide packaged fresh seafood. And there is a good reason for that!
The Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market as a Breakfast Place?
Well, technically, you don’t have to eat your breakfast (or lunch) there. But towards the back of the market is a place where you can bring the seafood you just bought, buy a bowl of rice and a drink, and make your own Chirashi or sushi rice bowl. If you like, you can also grill or steam your purchase out back if raw seafood is not to your liking. Once you are all set, simply grab a seat at one of the long tables and dig in.
We were both hungry, having skipped breakfast, and the seafood options made our mouths water! After we took a walk around to familiarize ourselves with the available options, we started assembli