Information of Shops

Takenaga

Black soybean snacks and dried seafood products fill this shop. The common point is that they are good for health. The shop's recommended dried products in bags include sea bream, anago conger eel, wakame seaweed, seared sardines, and shrimp. The fruit sandwiches, an unexpected addition to this store's merchandise, come in many varieties, such as strawberry, papaya, fig, and grape.

• Salted dried fish

Kanehide

This shop mainly wholesales to high-end restaurants. It orders rare seafood that cannot be found in other stores from all over Japan – Hokkaido to Kyushu. "We also go to Akashi, Maizuru, and Miyazu to purchase directly," the owner says. They also do retail sales to the general public.

• Fresh Fish

Watahan

Founded in 1897, this shop has a history of over 120 years. Counted from the first owner, Hanshichi Watanabe, the current owner is the fourth generation. The store began as a retailer of fresh fish and now focuses on the preparation, processing, and sales of seafood such as fugu (puffer fish), pike conger eel, and oysters. In addition to small packs of sashimi such as wild sea bream, kampachi (greater amberjack), and blood clams, oysters with shells and deep-fried fugu are also available.

• Fresh Fish

KAI

This shop specializes in furikake (a condiment to sprinkle on rice), delicacies, and snacks. The front of this store is different from other stores in that it is set up like a counter, where products are lined up in rows. Almost all of the products on display are available for tasting. It is fun to listen to the explanations given by the staff while trying various products.

• Delicacies, Furikake

Maruyata

This shop's customers include Michelin Guide restaurants, long-established ryokan (Japanese-style inns), and famous ryotei (Japanese-style restaurants). Their main product is live fish swimming in fish tanks at the back of the store. The storefront is lined with fish that are about to be sent to customers in Tokyo, other parts of Japan, and even overseas. This popularity is due to the shop's unique preparation techniques, such as ikejime (a method of preparing live fish that maintains the quality of its meat).

• Fresh Fish

Notoyo

This is a shop specializing in river fish, of which there are only a few in Kyoto and only three in Nishiki Market. The products lined up in the store are fileted, cut into chunks, and cooked in large pots in the back of the store, where they also prepare products for wholesale delivery to kaiseki restaurants.

• River Fish