Information of Shops

Yamasho

Appetizing skewers are lined up in front of the shop. Many people take pictures of them. This is a fresh fish store opened by its previous owner in 1950. Yellowtail, sea bream, Spanish mackerel—the seasonal fresh fish are all freshly selected by the knowledgeable owner, who has been coming to the market for 50 years. Sardines and mackerel are cooked with ginger, and white fish is seasoned moderately and cooked in the back of the restaurant, making the most of each fish's unique flavor.

• Fresh Fish

Hatanaka Shouten

Hatanaka Shouten was established 75 years ago. The current, third-generation owner of this family-run fish shop humbly says, “In Nishiki Market, where many stores are over 100 years old, we are still in the middle of the pack.” The shop offers fresh fish, sashimi, grilled dishes, and simmered dishes. Currently, they are focusing on processed products that can be taken home, such as homemade ayu sweetfish with roe simmered in Japanese pepper, fish pickled in miso, heshiko fermented fish, and chirimen sansho (dried baby sardines with Japanese pepper).

• Fresh Fish, Salted driedfish

Chinami

“Originally, we sold dried foods such as kelp, but my parents started tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce and mirin), and we have become a specialty store of kelp and tsukudani,” says the owner of Chinami. “While using high-quality kelp to make traditional products, we are also promoting kelp for a new audience with our creative original tsukudani, represented by our signature product ‘Oyajinakase.’ We strive to maintain a balance between tradition and innovation while always remembering the tradition of kelp-using cuisine.”

• KyoKelp (Seaweed)

Notoyo West

Notoyo West opened in 1963 as the west branch of the river fish specialty shop Notoyo. Their merchandise is exactly the same as that of the main store, but their specialty is kabayaki eel grilled over binchotan charcoal. They use Nishiki's groundwater for everything except washing. Since they sell freshwater fish, Nishiki's groundwater is indispensable to keep them alive. Freshness is the main selling point of their grilled fish.

• River Fish

Marutsune

“Even today, we stubbornly use a stone mortar to make our surimi fish paste,” they say. “With stainless steel, the material does not stick to the edge, but with a stone mortar, the material sticks to the edge, so you have to stir it many times to get the surimi to blend. Oddly enough, that's what makes it so good. In fact, there used to be several stores in Nishiki Market that made and sold fish pastes and fried fish cakes, but this store is now the only one. We make not only fish cakes for oden (vegetables and fish cakes cooked in dashi stock) and authentic kamaboko fish cakes, but also creative fried fish cakes.”

• Fish cake

Tsunori

This shop has a long history. It was founded as a caterer in the late Edo period(1603-1867). After WWII, it became a fresh fish merchant, and now, with its ninth-generation owner, it is a fresh fish and charcoal grill shop. In addition to sashimi and fillets, the charcoal grill, which utilizes the facilities from the time when the shop was a caterer, is very popular. The sight of their lively grilling of sea bream, mackerel, yellowtail, saury, and other fish is sure to whet your appetite.

• Fresh Fish

Sugi Honey shop

Honey is a gift of nature. Sugi Honey Shop raises bees in their own apiary in Kumamoto Prefecture and also collects honey from all over Japan. They sell pure rich honey, fruit juice blended with honey, royal jelly, propolis, the New Zealand manuka honey, which has been gaining attention in recent years for its health benefits, and more. Their lineup of honey products are loved by people of all ages.

• Honey

Ookuniya

Founded in 1912, this river fish shop is famous for its eels. Although the store has a small frontage, its reputation resonates far and wide. They insist on domestic eels from Aichi Prefecture and natural eels from the Seto Inland Sea caught in Kojima Bay, Okayama Prefecture. They are carefully grilled over charcoal with a secret sauce. The store’s fourth-generation owner follows the cooking method handed down for generations.

• River Fish

Karikari hakase

This popular takoyaki shop has a line of people waiting in front of it anytime one passes by. Why are there so many couples? Perhaps it is because the young and cheerful staff makes it easy to enter the shop. That may be one reason, but it may also be because of the delicious and reasonable price (280 yen for one pack of takoyaki). The crunchy takoyaki live up to the shop’s name (“kari kari hakase” ≈ “Doctor Crunch”).

• Takoyaki

Tsubakiya

“Since we have a shop here at Nishiki Market, we want to demonstrate the advantages of face-to-face sales.” The shopkeeper gives customers a piece of paper with recipes on how to boil beans and other ingredients, and he also teaches how to preserve them. He also has a research-oriented side, learning various other methods of cooking and preparing that are in line with the times. He loves to talk, so you can ask him anything.

• Beans and cereals