About food in Japan

Daichi no ki (大地の木), Takadanobaba (高田馬場) - Singaporean, Malaysian food

 Many Japanese people, including me who visited South East Asia, like Singapore style chicken rice (海南鶏飯, Hainanese chicken rice ). The typical hawker menu, cooked chicken with rice is available even in Tokyo by Malaysian chef. Daichi no ki (大地の木) is a small casual restaurant located in Takadanobaba (高田馬場), known as a "student town" in Tokyo.  

The restaurant offers wide selections of Asian food, Chinese small starter dishes, Korean hot pepper soup, Thai style salad etc. The atmosphere and the price are casual but the taste is authentic and appreciated by Asian food lovers in Tokyo. 

One of the speciality Singapore style chicken rice set menu, I had. Yes the spicy sauce and rice are similar to what I had in South East Asia. 

Another speciality of Daichi no ki is Penang style shrimp noodle. The noodle soup in red looks very hot and it is made with stock (bouillon) from lobster's head, which is very rate to find in Japan and also what I would like to try on my next visit.

By the way, the retsuarant name "Daichi no ki" is purely in Japanese, "tree on the land".

  

With the decoration and non-Japanese staff on the floor as well as the plates provided, I felt as if I were travelling in Singapore or  somewhere else in South East Asia. I enjoyed a very short "escape" to the south from Tokyo there.

By the way, related to Singapore, a travel seller group is sending a delegation team to Japan during this week. The team is reporting what's going on in Japan at this moment through their own eyes on facebook.

Please also check their facebook page liked to know how they see in Japan, if you would.

http://www.facebook.com/ChanBrothersTravelSG

 

Restaurant name: Daichi no ki (大地の木)

Address: Meiho Building 1st floor, 2-14-9 Shinjuku-ku, Takadanobaba, Tokyo

大きな地図で見る

Ruri, Ginza (瑠璃, 銀座) - cafe with Japanese-Western sweets

It is rate to find a cosy space with nice cups of tea and cakes in Ginza, as many of cafe in central locations are always busy and filled with guests. Ruri (瑠璃), who's name represents "lapise lazuli" in Japanese, was newly opened in 2010 just a few blocks away from Ginza 4-chome crossing. In spite of the central location, the space and surrounding are calm and can be a good oasis while enjoying shopping at luxury boutiques.

 

What is great of Ruri is not only the modern Japanese taste interior and decorations but also sweets selections offered on the menu, Due to the cafe's owner company, Mon Chou Chou based in Osaka, Ruri cafe provides several selections of Mon Chou Chou sweets including very popular "Dojima Roll" (堂島ロール).

 

Dojima Roll (堂島ロール) is made with fresh cream from Hokkaido and wrapped with soft sponge cake. The sweet is awarded as Grand Gold Quality by Monde Selection in 2010 and it is greatly appreciated by Japanese clients. People are always making a queue line for Dojima Roll at Mon Chou Chou stand in major department stores in Tokyo. Some cases it is sold out.  

 

Here we do not have to make a long line to get a piece of cake rather we can have it with tea at the comfortable cafe space.

Maccha roll is exclusive to the cafe Ruri. Sponge cake and cream is made with maccha, Japanese green tea. Sweet beans paste is inside of maccha cream. It makes combination of Japanese traditional ingredients and Western-style roll cake.

Casuteran, natural honey is used for and served with fresh cream and sweet beans paste to dip.

Ruri has not only cafe space but also sweets gift shops attached where we can find these fancy cakes and other sweets in gift box for take away.

 

Cafe name: Ginza Ruri

Website: http://www.ginza-ruri.com

 Mon Chou Chou official home page: http://mon-chouchou.com

************* UPDATE 9th September 2013 *****************

Unfortunately Ginza Ruri Cafe was closed.

Some sweets mentioned above post, such as Dojima Roll are still available at boutiques of Patisserie Mon Cher in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo.

************************************************************* 

Save the sake (酒) in Tohoku

Tohoku (東北) region, where it got the most serious damage by the natural disaster, big earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 and followed aftershocks, has also been famous for sake (酒, 日本酒) production. As we can imagine, sake breweries in Tohoku are suffering the damage on their production facilities, product and/or ingredients stocks etc. Consequently the damage on breweries also impacted negatively on sake whole-sellers in Tohoku. Sake lovers across Japan, maybe around the world feel distress at the situation. To order sake from Tohoku at restaurants is a part of contribution to recovering from the damage.

Here I introduce two activities based in Tokyo to support sake breweries and whole-sellers in Tohoku region for promoting their products and giving information about the situation. 

SAVE KURA MIYAGI

A bar in Shibuya, called Kukai, is taking initiative to connect between sake whole-sellers, producers (can be expressed as KURA /蔵, sake stockage) in Miyagi prefecture and consumers through bars and restaurants in Tokyo and surrounding area. Its partner restaurants and bars purchase sake made in Miyagi from local whole-sellers to offer the products on their clients. The participants restaurants show the logo sticker (like the image right) on the site. 

Some of partner restaurants, bar are...

Kukai (公界), Shibuya / bar /  http://news.kukai.biz/

Seikoen (清香園), Shibuya / BBQ /  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/a491700/lang/en/

Padrino del Shozan, Venus Fort Odaiba / http://shozan-international.com

Los Barbados, Shibuya / Arab-African cuisine / http://www7b.biglobe.ne.jp/~los-barbados/

The participants will be introduced further on the website. 

http://blog.livedoor.jp/savekura/archives/4581270.html

 

Save the Tohoku no sake (東北の酒)

Ms. Kaori Haishi,  a sake sommelier and journalist, launched the website since April 2011, as one of Tohoku sake lovers. She voluntary organizes the site to support damaged sake breweries and to share informaiton related sake in Tohoku. What is very good for this blog readers.... the information in English are also AVAILABLE thanks to her language skill. The site contents include introduction of Tohoku breweries, photo reports from devasted area, warm supporting messages from sake lovers as well as sake retailers, sake producers across Japan. 

Save the Tohoku no sake  http://save-sake.com/top

Let's enjoy sake from Tohoku region and support them for recovering!

 

Nostalgic dining car - Nippon Shokudo (日本食堂) at Tokyo Station (東京駅)

From the end of April to the first week of May, it is one of the biggest holiday seasons in Japan, called "Golden Week". Along with four bank holidays, the 29th of April Day of Showa (previously known as Showa Emperor's birthday), the 3rd through to 5th of May Constitution Memorial Day, Green Day, Children's Day consecutively and weekends around, some people take a long holiday week and go out for vacation, outdoor activities or sightseeing. This year it is a bit different especially in Tohoku region where the best season of Sakura, cherry blossoms, falls in the Golden Week of May. Because of the natural disaster damage, less people visited cherry blossom spots in Tohoku, while many people across Japan rushed to the Pacific coast side for volunteer activities at damaged area. 

JR Tokyo Station, which is a base for departing to provinces, is still crowded with tourists during this week. Before or After the trip to outside Tokyo, why not take Yoshoku (洋食) lunch or dinner in a nostalgic dining car style restaurant? 

Nippon Shokudo (日本食堂) has been an icon brand of dining car in its florescence 60's to 70's. The good-old-days dining car atmosphere is re-created as a restaurant inside JR Tokyo Station where it has been a base of Japan journey even today.

The food provided at the nostalgic restaurant is also included in the atmosphere. The restaurant's speciality are dishes with "demi-glace sauce" which has been taken over and developed from the original version served for 70 years as a part of Nippon Shokudo's history. It also offers NIPPON SHOKUDO special course which includes French cuisine dishes, as main and dessert, same with ones at popular overnight express trains, "Cassiopeia"(カシオペア号) and "Hokuto-shichisei" (北斗七星号)  both running between Ueno Tokyo and Sapporo, Hokkaido.  Even without moving physically, we could feel as if we were travelling on board for a while at the restaurant.

I had Nippon Shokudo's speciality Hayashi-rice (ハヤシライス),

stew with Japanese sirloin beef well cooked in demi-glace sauce.

It is an excellent Yoshoku (洋食) plate

Taking advantage of the location, inside of Tokyo Station, it opens from 7a.m. in the morning and provides special breakfast menu, "Omelette with demi-glace sauce". It must be a good morning break... I will try it some day.

 

Restaurant name: Nippon Shokudo (日本食堂)

Location: Gransta Dining, North Court, First floor of inside Tokyo station

Restaurant operator's site (in Japanese): 

http://www.nre.co.jp/shop/db/detail_00430/

大きな地図で見る

Takahashi in Tsukiji Market (高はし, 築地市場）

Takahashi (高はし) is the second restaurant we dined on our Tsukiji Market visit, following Sushi Dai (寿司大) as my previous post. This is also a popular restaurant in Tsukiji Market with guests who do not hesitate to make a queue line for have meal there. It is more a casual dining compared with Sushi Dai and it can be a typical restaurant for the market workers after their hard working from very early morning. As same with the Sushi restaurant, Takahashi also has a counter table to serve around 10 diners at a time. We had been again lucky on the day and were seated as soon as we arrived without waiting.  

The restaurant's speciality "Super Anago-don" (スーパー穴子丼, superior conger eel rice bowl) is often featured by mass-media. But it is too much for us who already had sushi course in the same morning even though we had one hour walking tour at Tsukiji Market whole-sale area...

We ordered some fish dishes to taste their fresh high quality specialities with Japanese sake.

Seasonal and assortment Sashimi plates selected by chef 

At Takahashi, it is a pitty if someone finishs his/her meal only with sashimi plate.

They also serve very good cooked and grilled fish dishes. 

Well-cooked conger eel is so soft and sweeeeeet.

Today's grilled fish, trout is so big enough to share by 4 people...

Complimentary small starter dish, also well-cooked vegerables,

a typical home-made food

 

Menu is changed day by day, season by season, depending on what they sourced from the fish market. All available dishes are on the information board at the restaurant, in Japanese language only though. At least what is sure...whatever you order, no dish will disappoint you at Takahashi. 

My post related:

Tsukiji Market

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/tsukiji-market.html

RestaurSushi Dai, Tsukiji Market (寿司大 築地市場)

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/05/sushi-dai-in-tsukiji-market.html

Related links: Tsukiji Market plan in Japanese

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/medemiru/medemiru.htm

*Buildings with light orange colour, where restaurants are mainly located

 

Restaurant name: Takahashi (高はし)

Address: the 8th building, Tsukiji Market, 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan 

大きな地図で見る

Sushi Dai in Tsukiji Market (寿司大 築地市場)

In addition to visit of Tsukiji Market (築地市場) wholesale area, we got a chance to dine at restaurants in the market site. In Tsukiji Market where the trades is mainly made for wholesale professionals, restaurants on site welcome not only market workers but also general visitors as their dining guests. That is why some restaurants have a long queue lines in front of them. 

Among restaurants stand in a row and those are located on the ground floor of 10 buildings close to a car parking, a few hundreds meters away from the main gate, we selected Sushi Dai, one of the most popular restaurants in Tsukiji Market. For the restaurant Sushi Dai, it has NOT been rare that diners have to wait for a few hours to get a seat in the 12-seat counter Sushi restaurant. However when we visited the restaurant on a weekday of the last week on April 2011, only 4 people were waiting before us!! Finally we were seated after about 20 minutes waiting. What lucky we are !! In other words, it means, after the big earthquake on March 2011, Tsukiji Market restaurants also got negative impact on their business because of decreased number of both international and domestic tourists. Anyway, at least we got an advantage of the situation and  we were happy financially to contribute to the restaurant's business.

The restaurant offer two sets menu; "Omakase course" (おまかせ, "trust chef" or chef's selections) and Jyou (上, literally meaning "Superior" but the restaurant humbly express in English as "Standard" course) On the entrance door, it hangs an information plate in English as well. 

 

To embrace the opportunity, of course, we ordered "Omakase couse" which includes 10 pieces of chef's selection "nigiri sushi" (握りずし, hand-shaped sushi with raw fish on top of rice)  plus one piece of sushi as your favourite, as well as, "maki sushi" (巻きずし, rolled sushi), rolled egg, abd miso soup. The chef are enough kind to consult and listen to what you want and you don't or can't eat  then adjust the menu for your request based on Omakase course, before the meal starts. So please feel ease and just look forward to what will have for next an hour at the sushi counter. 

Seating on one of the twelve high chairs at the Sushi restaurant, the scene is exactly for a typical Sushi restaurant; some fresh seafood in a refrigerated case is just in front of us and behind the case, chefs are making Sushi with the hands and serving them to clients with smile as soon as they are made. 

Several examples what we had there as seasonal Omakase course. (Just keep in mind that sushi items are changed by season and by fishery supplying situation.)

Hokkigai (ホッキ貝, surf clam),

it was "alive" when it served in front of me

Uni (ウニ, sea urchin)

Maguro (マグロ, tuna) duke (づけ, dipped in soy sauce)

Shiroebi (白海老, white shrimps)

Aji (鯵, horse mackerel)

Kohada (コハダ, spotted shad)

I have never seen one twisted like this

Kinmedai (金目鯛, alfonsino)

kobu-jime (昆布締め, fish stored and flavoured with kobu, dried kelp),

ordered as my favorite request

As an additional dish with supplement,

we had grilled Anago (穴子, conger eel),

one piece seasoned with salt and another with soy sauce 

Rolled egg is sweet and soft and

something that cannot be missed

Related links: 

My post related - Tsukiji Market

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/tsukiji-market.html

Tsukiji Market plan in Japanese

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/youkoso/medemiru/medemiru.htm

*Buildings with light orange colour, where restaurants are mainly located

Restaurant name: Sushi Dai (寿司大)

Address: the 6th building, Tsukiji Market, 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Website in Japanese: http://www.tsukijigourmet.or.jp/22_sushidai/index.htm#03

大きな地図で見る

Tsukiji Market (築地市場)

We visited one of the most popular tourist spots in Tokyo, Tsukiji Ｍarket (築地市場) this week. It must be one of the most exciting experience for food lovers visiting Tokyo. It is same even for us who live in Tokyo and other parts of Japan!

Here for those who has never visited there, I do summarize about Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, in most cases known as "Tsukiji fish market" internationally.

About Tsukiji Market 

- Opened in 1935 and one of eleven public wholesale markets in Tokyo.

- As fish and seafood market (魚市場, uo-ichiba), it is the biggest in the world

- Located central Tokyo, a five-minute-walk from Ginza which is known for the most luxury shopping streets.

- As already known, fishery products are mainly traded. In addition, fruits and vegetables section is also in the market.

- Basically the market is for professional buyers, retailers and restaurant operators (non-professional visitors are allowed to go into some area in the market)

- Close Sunday, national holidays and some Wednesday. Please check their business calender before your visit.

http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/etc/calendar/2011.html

It is in Japanese. At least the market is "OPEN" on the dates of clear or white colour box  (開市日=Market open date) as well as a few dates in blue (臨時開市日=Occasional market open date)

Current issues around Tsukiji Market

- Tokyo Metropolitan government and Tsukiji Market are planning to move the market site to a new location in Toyosu (豊洲) area due to shortage of space and decrepit buildings and facilities while increasing business demand. It is still controversy by opponents of relocation because of land safety issues remain and so on.

- Large decrease of international visitors negatively impacting on the restaurant business in Tsukiji Market and surrounding, after the big earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku (東北)and Kanto (関東) regions on 11th March 2011.

- Serious damage on one of the largest fishery business area, Sanriku coast (三陸海岸) in Tohoku by tsunami has changed supplying activities and products appear on the market

What is expected for non-professional visitors, including tourists, at Tsukiji Market

... in order to avoid disturbing the market workers and having unexpected physical injury for both visitors and suppliers

 

Area: 

Some area is restricted from non-professional visitors (tourists). Please follow the instructions by the market.

     So far Tuna Auction (maguro seri, マグロのせり) area is NOT open to visitors after the big earthquake happened on 11th March 2011.

      For the latest update, please visit its official site. Information in English is also available. 

     http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

Move around by a small group of 5 or less number of people to avoid blocking a passage.

Keep always watching your way around because the market workers are running around, often with "high-speed" motor wagon, on the site.

Photo: 

According to the blog by Tsukijiro-san, a frequent visitor of Tsukiji Market and a popular Japanese blogger who kindly showed us around the market on the day and who consulted with security staff for this issue at the market,

Tsukijiro-san's blog in Japanese: http://tsukijigo.cocolog-nifty.com

NO FLASH please, where "cutting" knives are often used by workers, it is very danger to use flash light in front of staff working with a cutting knif. 

It is allowed to take private photos in the market but please kindly pay enough attention and avoid disturbing market workers. 

Some shops or restaurants set up their own photo-taken policy. (ex: no photo please, allowed only limited occasions etc) In that case, please kindly follow their instruction. 

Uploading photos to websites or SNS is OK as long as it appears private photos and it is done under the photo-taken policy of each shop.

Other recommendations for visiting Tsukiji Market

"Dress code" - should be "compact" and "tight" (without big frill or long stole), no sandal or any kind of open-toe shoes. Big luggage should be left out from the market.

Let me post a sign boad at the entrance of Tsukiji Market for additional information. It appears clearly what is expected...

  

Time - around 9 a.m. to 10 a.m is a good time to visit the fish market. Around the time, the market is less crowded and the market workers are more relaxed toward their business closing time 11 a.m. However from around 10.a.m., some whole-sellers start clearning and closing their stands. 

If you luckily have accommodation with kitchen facility in Tokyo, it is a good idea to buy some fresh fish or seafood at the market and bring them to your base for cooking. Some whole-sellers in the market are happy to sell their products to non-professional buyers. In that case, these shops are likely to display price tags besides their products. 

We found fish from Morikoka (盛岡), Tohoku region

Jonai (場内) or Jogai (場外) ?

In addition to Tsukiji "Jonai" (場内, inside of the market), what I told as above, is basically for professional trades. On the other hand, out of Jonai area is called Jogai (場外, outside) which is a commercial area more for non-professional buyers. Even in the area, you will be able to enjoy visiting seafood or sushi restaurants and shopping around fresh food stores etc.    

While walking around in Jogai are,

we happened to find the Katsuobushi (鰹節, dried bonite) shop,

Akiyama Shouten (秋山商店),

which has been featured in the film "eatrip" introduced my previous post a year ago. 

 

Soon I will post a couple of other repors about restaurants in Tsukiji Market following this post on basic information about Tsukiji Market.

Related link: 

Tsukiji Market official site (English version)

  http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

Tsukiji Market business calendar for 2011 (Japanese version)

 http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/etc/calendar/2011.html

"OPEN" on the dates of clear or white colour box  (開市日=Market open date) as well as a few dates in blue (臨時開市日=Occasional market open date)

Wikipedia Tsukiji fish market http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market

Tsukijiro-san's blog in Japanese http://tsukijigo.cocolog-nifty.com

 

大きな地図で見る

The S.Pellegrino World's 100 Best Restaurants 2011

The S.Pellegrino World's 100 Best restaurant 2011 has been announced recently. I picked up awarded restaurants in Japan as well as Japanese restaurants out of the origin country. 

Both listed restaurants in Japan, Les Creations de Narisawa and Kitcho Arashiyama (吉兆　嵐山), are also awaded two stars by Michelin red guide 2011. 

Please find these awarded restaurants as below.

No. 12 in the world as well as the best restaurant in Asia

Les Creations de Narisawa, Tokyo Japan 

http://www.narisawa-yoshihiro.com

Please visit my report in the past when I visited the restaurant two years ago. 

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2009/08/french---les-cr.html

No. 20, raised up from 29th in 2010

Nihonryori Ryugin　（日本料理　龍吟), Tokyo Japan

http://www.nihonryori-ryugin.com/ 

We can say it is awarded as the best Japanese restaurant in the world.

According to its official site, the chef Seiji Yamamoto's aim is to make his guests feel a sense of the season and discover potential of ingredients from the world in his Japanese cuisine. He startded his restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo in 2003 after working and trained in the field of Japanese cuisine for long years. He has been often invited and presented at some international academic culinary meetings. 

No. 58 Tetsuya's, Sydney Australia

http://www.tetsuyas.com

The Japanese native chef Tetsuya Wakuda flow in Australia at his age around twenty and leant cooking technic and philosophy in Australia through his career. Now he is one of the most popular chef in the country and is recognized internationally as well.

No. 90 Kitcho Arashiyama (吉兆　嵐山), Kyoto Japan

http://www.kitcho.com/kyoto/shoplist/arashiyama/

The flagship base of the Japanese luxury restaurant chain has over a half century history. 

It serves authentic Japanese cuisine in a traditional style building where it had been used as residence in early 20 century. 

Related link: http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2010/10/michelin-guide-kyoto-osaka-kobe-2011.html  

No. 92 Wasabi by Morimoto, Mumbai, India

http://www.tajhotels.com/FoodandWine/The%20Taj%20Mahal%20Palace%20&%20Tower,MUMBAI/WASABI%20BY%20MORIMOTO/default.htm

It is located in the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai. According to the needs of local diners, it offers vegetarian menu as well as signature seafood and sushi menu.

Related Link:

The Top 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The Top 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

 The World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The World’s 51-100 Best Restaurants | The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

 

 

Le Musee de H (辻口博啓美術館) – Wakura Onsen (和倉温泉), Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県)

As mentioned my previous post, one of the most known pastry chef, Mr. Hironobu Tsujiguchi spent his early years in Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県), Hokuriku (北陸) region. In Wakura Onsen (和倉温泉, hot sprin resort) area of Nanao-city (七尾市), Mr. Tsujiguchi has an art museum and café, “LE MUSEE DE H”.

Le Musee de H in Wakura Onsen is located seaside, next to Kagaya (加賀屋), one of the most appreciated luxury Ryokan (旅館, Japanese style accommodation) in Japan. In the museum part, on the ground floor, several sugar art works with colors by Mr. Hironobu Tsujiguchi are displayed in a dark exhibition hall. Urushi-nuri (漆塗り, Japan lacquer ware) art works made by another local artist, Isaburo Kado are on the Museum’s upper floor.

After fancinated by aesthetic world created by two local great masters, please do not skip a chance of relaxing break time at the café adjacent to the museum.

From the café, through foot-to-celling height window, a beautiful scenery of Nanao West Bay (七尾西湾) and Noto island is visible.

In Tokyo, excellent cakes or gateaux in French by Mr. Tsujiguchi are available but this fantastic combination of the beautiful scene and delicious pastry is not.

Let’s take advantage of the fantastic environment and enjoy nice sweets while looking at the sea. What a relaxing time...

 

These two cakes are exclusively available at this café. No other sweets boutique even by Mr. Tsujiguchi has same kinds. 

From top anti-clockwise

Tiara, Volcan and a piece of Yukitsuri pie (a seasonal product).

For some products sold at Le Musee de H, some of the region’s local ingredients are used; Noto milk, eggs, Kaga bocha (grilled stick tea), rice harvested in Wajima and natural salt. 

How to get to Wakura Onsen

From Kanazawa Station, about 1 hour by Express train to Wakura Onsen train station. Take a local bus or taxi to Wakura Onsen central area from the train station. 

From Wajima, where the morning market is popular, public bus runs a few times a day.

From Noto Airport, where two flights to/from Tokyo are operated, shared taxi service is available with advance reservation.

Offical site of Noto Airport (Japanese only) : http://www.noto-airport.jp

ANA airline: http://www.ana.co.jp

 

Wakura Onsen tourist office (Japanese only): http://www.wakura.or.jp/

 

Information in English about Le Musee de H by Ishikawa Prefecture Tourist office

http://hot-ishikawa.jp/f-lang/english/noto-area/muse-detail.html#05

 

Museum and Café name: Le Musee de H official site (Japanese only)

http://www.kagaya.co.jp/le_musee_de_h/contents/wakuraConcept.html 

 

*The place is in Hokuriku region. (not in Tokyo) For general information about Kanazawa, to be a base to visit the region, please visit below link.

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/about-kanazawa-city-where-food-lovers-should-not-miss-on-travel-in-japan.html 

 

大きな地図で見る

 

Accommodations close to the site mentioned on this post.

和倉温泉　ゆけむりの宿美湾荘

和倉温泉　大正ロマンの宿　渡月庵

和倉温泉　加賀屋

Asaichi (朝市 Morning market) –Wajima (輪島), Ishikawa Prefecture (石川県)

Morning market is called, in Japanese, "Asaichi"(朝市, Asa/朝 = morning + Ichi/市 = market).  

In Japan, the biggest three major morning markets are ones in Takayama (高山) in Gifu prefecture (岐阜県), Katsuura (勝浦) in Chiba prefecture (千葉県) and Wajima (輪島) in Ishikawa prefecture (石川県). These local markets continue over hundreds years as a place where we can find fresh local products at reasonable cost, having friendly communication with local food producers.

******************* UPDATE 12 January 2024 *******************

Due to the large scale earthquake occurred on 1st January 2024, very sadly the area around Wajima morning market had very serious damage by fire and the earthquake. Major road and basic lifeline such as water supply have also been seriously damaged in Noto peninsula for the moment.

 

We hope that safe and comfortable daily life come back very soon to local people in the area and the traditional morning market is re-opened in Wajima in some days.

We will update this post when we get any news related the morning market in Wajima.

 

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During my trip to Kanazawa (金沢), Hokuriku (北陸) region, I visited the oldest morning market among those three. Wajima morning market has over “a century” history on the edge of Noto peninsula (能登半島). From Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa prefecture as well as of Hokuriku region, I took a long distance coach at 7:20 a.m. from Kanazawa Station bus terminal. The express coach is scheduled to arrive in the final destination, Wajima around 9:35 a.m. While on board, the Coast of Japan Sea along the Noto Peninsula is visible for a while.

Getting off at the bus stop, in front of Wajima Shikki Shiryokan (輪島漆器資料館, “Japan-ware” Resource Center), it takes just a few hundreds meters to the morning market along the Kawaharata river (河原田川). We do not have to check a map, because lively voice of the market vendors led us to the right place. 

In Wajima morning market, it is said for long time that both sellers and buyers are female here. It is true at least as for sellers now a day. Local ladies of middle to elder age are selling ocean-fresh seafoods including a main product crab (蟹), processed fisheries products such as dried fish or seaplant paste, Wajima’s well-known specialty Japan lacquer ware and other local hand-made products. Their energy to appeal their products is enough high to making tourists feeling of purchase some products.  Sometimes they offer sample tasting otherwise prepare fish for sale by cutting or washing .

 

Some vendors are ready to arrange refrigerated delivery to major cities like Tokyo or Osaka. Some tourists from such major cities purposely organize their itinerary to visit Wajima morning market on the last day of their trip so they can embrase the opportunity to get very fresh seafood at home.

 

After strolling the main street of Wajima morning market, we had time to discover another local specialty of Wajima, Japan-ware (漆器) or lacquer products. Wajima is the best known as lacquer ware prodiction area. Wajima Shikki Shiryokan (輪島漆器資料館, Japan-ware Resource Center) has an exhibition hall for tourists on the second floor where we will be able to find making process of Japan ware from carving lumber to lacquer finishing and decoration painting as well as completed representative works. Because of a number of handmade process, Japan ware products are fairly expensive. But chop sticks or soup balls are not so high and can be a good souvenir.

 

Today’s my lunch at a casual local restaurant, Matsuoka (まつおか). It is just off from the main street and found on the way from the bus stop. The restaurant’s specialty is Kaisendon (海鮮丼, Seafood ball), of course!!, with fresh seafood from the market.

 

 

If you have a plenty of time to visit Wajima or are supposed to take a bus to go back to Kanazawa, it is a good idea to go through the Babazaki Shotengai street (馬場崎商店街, Babazaki shopping arcade) on the way to a bus stop for Kanazawa from the main street of Wajima. As you see below photos, traditional merchant buildings stands along the shopping street. They are re-constructed ones but still remain atmosphere of Edo era.

 

Even a mobile phone shop appears in traditional style...

 

How to get to Wajima (輪島)

From Kanazawa Station – about 2hours by Express coach operated by Hokuriku Bus company. The express bus run several times a day between Kanazawa - Wajima. The first service departs at 7:20 a.m. from Kanazawa station is only one time option fully to enjoy Wajima morning market. The same bus also drops by Noto Airpot on the way a few times a day. You could organize your itinerary to head to Noto Airport by bus for flight to Tokyo on afternoon after visiting Wajima in the morning. Time of these transportation services are limited. It is better to check time table in advance or to consult tourist information.

 

Offical site of Noto Airport (Japanese only) : http://www.noto-airport.jp

ANA airline: http://www.ana.co.jp

 

*The place is in Hokuriku region. (not in Tokyo) For general information about Kanazawa, to be a base to visit the region, please visit below link.

 http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/about-kanazawa-city-where-food-lovers-should-not-miss-on-travel-in-japan.html 

 

Information in English about Wajima morning market (輪島朝市) :

http://hot-ishikawa.jp/f-lang/english/noto-area/shopping-detail.html#01

 

Wajima Shikki Shiryokan (輪島漆器資料館, Japan-ware  Resource Center)

Website (Japanese only): http://www.wajimanuri.or.jp/fkaikan.htm

Address: 24-55 Kawaicho, Wajima-city, Ishikawa prefecture

 

Restaurant: Matsuoka (まつおか)

Address: 1-31-1 Kawaicho, Wajima-city, Ishikawa prefecture

*The restaurant provides breakfast from 8 a.m. as well as lunch and dinner.

 

 

 

大きな地図で見る

 

Two other  major morning markets in Japan

Takayama - is a touristic city and a base to visit Shiwakawago (白川郷) UNESCO world heritage. The morning market is taken place in two area within the city. One is on Miyagawa rive side and another is in front of Jinya (陣屋, the former government office) Due to the location surrounded mountains, their local products are mainly from mountain side, such as vegetable, mushrooms, vegetable pickles.   

大きな地図で見る

 

Katsuura (Chiba prefecture) - It is a port town in East Japan, not very far from Tokyo. Like Wajima, there we can find seafood products as well as vegetables and  rice cakes etc.

大きな地図で見る