About a 5-minute drive from Kumamoto Station.
There is Tasaki Market (Kumamoto Local Wholesale Market), which bustles from the early morning with auctions.
Handling more than 60% of the seafood distributed within the prefecture, this is truly Kumamoto’s kitchen.
Hearing that the eatery inside the market—frequented even by “fish professionals”—serves delicious food and is also open to the general public, I went to check it out.
The tuna handled at the market is centered around yellowfin tuna and large marlin with long upper jaws.
Just a short distance from Kumamoto Station,
To Kumamoto’s kitchen.
5:30 AM. Seafood auctions have begun at Tasaki Market. Inside the venue, where spirited voices fly back and forth, the seafood lined up in every available space was caught in fishing ports within Kumamoto Prefecture, starting with Amakusa, as well as neighboring prefectures such as Nagasaki, Miyazaki, and Shimane. The eyes of retailers and intermediate wholesalers—who distribute fish to retailers—are utterly serious as they check the quality.
The auctions at the vast Tasaki Market start simultaneously in 10 locations. As the auctioneers announce the origin and size, participants raise their wooden plaques, successfully bidding on the items one after another.
According to Mr. Kenji Kunitoku of Kumamoto Local Wholesale Market Co., Ltd., which operates the market, the handling volume here accounts for about 63% of the entire prefecture’s total, and about 87% in terms of sales value (fiscal year 2023). The excitement of the prefecture’s largest market can be felt firsthand.
“The seafood traded the most at Tasaki Market is sea bream. Horse mackerel and yellowtail follow it,” says Mr. Kunitoku.
What is the breakfast that supports the work of professionals—?
“Some people start working as early as 1:30 AM. Since the seafood auction is from 5:30 AM and the produce auction is from 6:30 AM, people working at the market often eat breakfast before or after the auctions,” says Mr. Kunitoku.
The places that fish professionals visit, catching a moment amidst the hustle and bustle, are a few eateries located inside the market. The editorial staff stepped through the noren curtain of “Iroha Shokudo,” where it is said you can eat freshly sourced seafood.
From 6:00 to 8:00, they offer breakfast set meals such as curry rice and fried fish. It is said that as soon as it opens, it becomes fully packed with people working at the market. From 10:30, they serve dishes made with fresh seafood selected that day by expert intermediate wholesalers. The specialty is the seafood bowl (kaisen-don), topped with eight types of seafood, including tuna. A whole shrimp is placed on top, making a big impact in terms of both volume and visual appearance.
Daily specials are written on the blackboard inside the shop. Since it is determined by that day’s procurement, what is available is a pleasure to look forward to when you visit. Among them, the seafood chirashizushi is particularly popular. It is a vibrant dish that is also a delight to the eyes.
Seafood chirashizushi
1,500 yen (tax included)
A popular dish you will want to order if it is on the daily special menu.
The Iroha set meal—which includes sashimi and a small side dish along with a main course that can be chosen from grilled fish or simmered fish—is also a frequently ordered menu item. The fish changes daily. On this day, it was simmered sea bream. The simmering broth has a robust flavor, and it goes wonderfully with rice. “Since the market workers move around a lot, I thought a stronger flavor would be good,” says Ms. Junko Sugimoto, who runs Iroha Shokudo. Originally, Ms. Sugimoto worked at a different eatery inside the market, but partly due to a recommendation from an intermediate wholesaler who was an old acquaintance, she became independent and opened “Iroha Shokudo” in 2020. It is one of the shops loved by many people who work at the market.
The prefecture’s largest market, located in Kumamoto city. Here, tourists can also enjoy a meal. You should definitely experience this extraordinary dining experience for yourself.
Iroha Set Meal
1,800 yen (tax included)
It is wonderful that sashimi is also included alongside the main course of either simmered or grilled fish.
Iroha Shokudo Owner
Ms. Junko Sugimoto
She reportedly decided on the shop name, wanting a name that is easy to understand and easy to remember.
“Iroha Shokudo,” where market personnel who have finished the auctions visit one after another. Since there are people who come almost every day, they prepare multiple daily special menus. The portions are also generous.
