Enjoy eating your way around the Katsuura Morning Market! We introduce recommended gourmet foods for breakfast and souvenirs

*Prices include tax.
*Prices, offerings, and business hours are current as of December 2024.

Katsuura Morning Market Map

What is Katsuura Morning Market, one of Japan's three largest morning markets?

From either Haneda Airport or Narita Airport, it takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours to arrive at Katsuura Station. From there, it's about a 10 minute walk to the morning market venue. If you are going by car, you can use two municipal parking lots, "Sumina Municipal Parking Lot" and "Izumi Municipal Parking Lot."

The morning market is open from around 6:30 to 11:00. Some stores close early if they sell out, so it's a good idea to stay the night before and head there early in the morning.

Katsuura Morning Market is known as one of the three biggest morning markets in Japan, along with Wajima Morning Market in Ishikawa Prefecture and Hida Takayama Miyagawa Morning Market in Gifu Prefecture. Its characteristics include its long history, which is said to have begun in 1591 (Tensho 19) during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, its establishment as it is basically held on weekdays except Wednesdays and New Year's Day, and its diverse lineup of businesses ranging from long-established to new.

Near the morning market is Tomisaki Shrine, famous for its rows of Hina dolls lined up on stone steps, and during the Girls' Festival season, the "Katsuura Big Hina Festival" is held all over the city. The shrine is said to grant blessings such as matchmaking, good health, and fertility, so why not visit it as a power spot?

Katsuura Morning Market's recommended food and souvenir spots map

Another feature of the Katsuura Morning Market is that it changes location between the first and second halves of the month. From the 1st to the 15th, it is held on Shimohonmachi Morning Market Street, and from the 16th to the end of the month, it is held on Nakahonmachi Morning Market Street. However, it is only two streets apart, and the distance between them is only about 100 meters.

Another appeal is that Shimohonmachi Morning Market Street is about 400 meters long, while Nakahonmachi Morning Market Street is about 800 meters long, making it compact and easy to walk around. There are 83 registered stores (at the time of the interview), and on busy days, 40 to 50 stores are lined up. Many stores are only open on certain days of the week or on weekends, so if there is a store that interests you, it is a good idea to check the social media of each store in advance.

Fill your stomach early in the morning! Gourmet food to eat on the go

The best thing about Katsuura Morning Market is that you can sample a wide variety of gourmet foods while walking around. Since it's an open-air market, you can enjoy the aroma and taste of freshly cooked food as it's prepared right in front of you, and if the vendors aren't busy, you can even enjoy conversation.

[Warabimochi] The freshly made, delicious, pull-style mochi is a must-try at Nanbanya, where rare Western-style treats are also popular.

They serve the warabimochi fresh from a large bowl into a boat-shaped container. Nanbanya sells warabimochi in this direct sales style. They don't use any processed starch, and the mochi is made from 100% domestically produced genuine warabi powder. They prepare it every morning, and the taste is superb, with a soft, slightly moist texture.

The standard seasonings are the mild-flavored "kinako" and the more fragrant and rich "black sesame." On Sundays only, "milk" is added. If you want to taste it on the spot, one boat costs 250 yen, and a souvenir pack containing three servings costs 650 yen.

In addition to its white appearance, "Milku" is also served with condensed milk. Vanilla beans are used for flavoring, and Nanbanya is unique in offering a new warabimochi experience that blends Japanese and Western styles. This is a popular item, so if you want to be sure to get your hands on one, be sure to get in early.

Nanbanya

[Taiyaki] The only place to enjoy tantan taiyaki with Katsuura specialties: Kandaya

Kandaya is the shop of Osamu Ezawa, the chairman of the Katsuura Morning Market Association. His main business is a private lodging house that has been in business since the 1950s, and Ezawa is the second generation owner. He started setting up a stall at the morning market in 2018, initially selling baked sweet potatoes and shaved ice, but with the desire to make something "handmade and exclusive to this place," he began offering taiyaki.

The menu includes the standard red bean paste "Taiyaki" (200 yen), but the must-try is the "Tantan Taiyaki" (250 yen). It is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that contains the local gourmet "Katsuura Tantanmen" flavored bean paste. In addition to onions and minced meat, which are essential to this dish, it also contains vegetables such as tomatoes, bamboo shoots, and lotus root depending on the season.

The key to the flavor is locally sourced bonito flakes and chili oil. The former is sourced from "Asaichi Tsuraya Kaisan," which also has a stall at the morning market, and gives the soup a rich dashi flavor. The chili oil adds spiciness and umami. This bean paste creates a contrast with the slightly sweet dough, creating a delicious taste you've never experienced before.

The market is closed during the summer when the fabric is easily damaged. As chairman, Mr. Ezawa is one of the people who knows a lot about Katsuura and the history of the morning market. When asked why Katsuura has become popular among tourists and immigrants in recent years, he told us, "The biggest reason is the food and nature nurtured by the sea and mountains. In particular, in the summer, the temperature has never exceeded 35°C in the history of the Japan Meteorological Agency's observations, so it is cool and comfortable to live there. The people who live there are very warm, though (laughs)!" If you have the chance, please enjoy a conversation with Mr. Ezawa.

Kandaya (B&B Kanda)

[Coffee] A delicious cup of hand-dripped coffee served in the morning at "SPAiCE COFFEE"

"SPAiCE COFFEE" was started by immigrant Yuhei Konno in 2015, mainly in the Katsuura morning market. After that, a permanent store "SPAiCE COFFEE HOUSE" was opened at the end of 2022 by a total of five people, including Yu Kuronuma and roaster Shun Saito, and has now become a coffee shop that represents Katsuura. The store name is a combination of the words "space" and "spice," and it has also become a community space.

The beans are roasted at the adjacent roastery "EDOYA" (opening in 2024), and at the morning market, they will serve a cup of coffee that matches your morning as they did when they started out, from a bicycle coffee stand. In addition to the classic medium-dark roast "Blend" (hot 500 yen, iced 600 yen) that mainly uses beans from Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala, they also offer the medium-roasted "Today's Blend" (hot from 600 yen) and cafe lattes.

The unique cup of coffee is the "SPAiCE COFFEE" (hot 600 yen, iced 700 yen), which is also linked to the store's name. The secret ingredient is ginger syrup from "BROOKLYN RIBBON FRIES" in Komazawa, Tokyo, and you'll be hooked on the wild flavor of the spices and the mellow sweetness. The permanent store and roastery are open even after the morning market ends, and there are tables available, so it's a great place to take a break.

While Asaichi serves drip coffee, SPAiCE COFFEE HOUSE serves it in the Italian style. They use an authentic espresso machine, and they use a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans from various countries, roasted darkly the Italian way. The reason for this is that Kuronuma was impressed by the local bars (coffee shops) during his study abroad in Italy.

The shop offers a wide range of drinks, including espresso (300 yen), cappuccino (500 yen), black regular (hot/iced 500 yen), chai (700 yen) made from specially selected tea leaves, and spiced coffee (700 yen). There are many different types of beans, which can be purchased at the shop or at 'EDOYA.

SPAiCE COFFEE

[Dashimaki egg] "Kawabe" - a warm and gentle taste with a rich dashi stock as the deciding factor

Attracted by the beauty of Katsuura Moriya Coast, which has been selected as one of the "100 Best Beaches in Japan" and "88 Best Swimming Beaches in Japan," Mr. Ishida, who moved to the area and is also active as a local revitalization volunteer, opened his shop "Kawabee." He currently serves rolled omelets and has become so popular that people line up to get in.

The base of the flavor is a rich dashi stock made by slowly simmering bonito flakes and kelp. No artificial seasonings are used, and it is not too sweet, with a fluffy texture and simple flavor.

The menu offers two sizes: one cut (200 yen / approx. 100g, 1.5 eggs) and one stick (750 yen / approx. 400g, 6 eggs). The one cut comes in a cup, making it the perfect size for eating while walking around various shops.

It takes about 10 minutes to cook one roll to ensure a thorough preparation, but the taste of freshly made rolled omelet in the morning is something special. The gentle flavor is sure to warm your mood.

[Oden] "Okitsu no Yu-chan" has a rich aroma of bonito stock from a local dried goods store

Yuko Tominaga, who moved to the Okitsu area of Katsuura in July 2022, has been running "Okitsu no Yu-chan" at the morning market since February 2023. The "Katsuo Dashi Morning Market Set" (450 yen), which includes daikon, konjac, fried tofu, and egg, is a signature dish.

Tominaga originally worked in an office in Tokyo, and in March 2022, when he was working remotely, he moved to a share house in Katsuura using a fixed-rate service that allows you to live in multiple locations. There, he discovered the morning market, and fell in love with the shops and people in Katsuura so much that he went there every day. He was especially enamoured with the bonito flakes at Asaichi Tsuraya Kaisan. He says that he thought of a dish that would make the most of the fragrant flavor of the bonito flakes, and decided to open an oden stall.

"There are many immigrants of the same generation, and a great attraction of the morning market is being able to shop while listening to the stall owners' diverse life stories and learning about their daily lives. I hope to convey the appeal of freshly shaved bonito flakes through the oden, and also share the good things about the morning market that I have felt," says Tominaga.

The recommended oden is daikon soaked in plenty of dashi. The "Katsuo Dashi Morning Market Set" also occasionally comes with a rice cake pouch made with rice cakes from the morning market's "Mr. and Mrs. Ito," so if you're lucky, you'll get one. When you visit, why not enjoy a conversation with Tominaga-san?

Yu-chan from Okitsu

[Yakitori] "Sumibi Yakitori Mikkabouzu" is an exquisite skewered dish that uses local game.

The bustling sushi restaurant "Sumibi Yakitori Mikkabozu" is known for its wild aroma and is one of the most popular in the Katsuura Morning Market. They offer a wide variety of skewers, and one of their skewers made with wild boar meat is particularly popular for its robust flavor and rarity.

This shop boasts fresh meat, sourced directly from a local slaughterhouse, and skewers are priced at 300 yen each. In addition, the "Wild Boar Braised in Red Wine" (500 yen), which is made by simmering mainly the tendons, is popular for its mild, tender meat.

There are many other types of skewers available, such as the standard grilled chicken skewers, skewers using seasonal vegetables, and "acorns" skewers with quail eggs marinated in garlic soy sauce, most of which are priced at 150 yen each. If you can't decide, we recommend the "5-piece set" (750 yen). In addition to the ingredients, they also use a blend of four types of salt, including the rare Katsuura brand salt "Mangetsu no Toki," to season the skewers.

Takayuki Tsuno, the owner of this shop, was also attracted to the charm of Katsuura and decided to open a shop there. After coming across Minshuku Kanda, run by the chairman of the morning market, he started to visit the place and bought an old house in Katsuura in 2023. He currently lives in two places, Katsuura and Saitama, and comes here on weekends to prepare skewers and for the morning market. If you are visiting on a Sunday when the shop is open, this is definitely a place you should stop by.

Charcoal grilled yakitori - Mikka bozu

[Hot Dogs] "Kitchen YAMATO" offers a wide variety of delicious homemade toppings

"Kitchen YAMATO" serves hot dogs made with healthy ingredients with a detox theme. The bread is a hard type similar to a baguette, which goes well with the juicy sausages, and is toasted until golden brown and fluffy.

The basic ingredients are sausage, seasoned cabbage, ketchup and mayonnaise, but you can omit these. A simple plain hot dog costs 500 yen, and there are also a variety of toppings available. There are several types of hot dogs, the most popular menu is "Herb & Garlic" (500 yen) with homemade herb sauce.

The chewy bread goes perfectly with the juicy sausage. The homemade sauce is refreshing and rich, and the addition of ketchup and mayonnaise gives it a rich taste with a hint of sweet and sour. They also offer a limited edition rich "clam chowder" (350 yen), so why not try that as well?

Kitchen YAMATO

[Seafood bowl] "Katsuura Sushi Restaurant Nodachan" serves gorgeous marinated bowls with medium fatty tuna

Katsuura Sushi Shokudo Noda-chan is a restaurant where you can enjoy the deliciousness of a sushi chef with over 40 years of experience at a reasonable price. The owner, Noda, had a sushi restaurant and a standing bar in Ningyocho, Tokyo, but in 2020, he moved to Katsuura, where he enjoyed surfing, after being forced to evict due to land readjustment, and opened a new restaurant.

The specialty menu here is a variety of seafood bowls. The seafood is sourced locally from Katsuura and Toyosu, where high-quality seafood from all over the country is gathered, and is prepared differently each day. The most popular dish is the "Kiriotoshi Zuke Bowl Jo" (1,600 yen), which on this day was packed with bluefin tuna chu-toro, southern bluefin tuna toro, bigeye tuna, negitoro, yellowtail, flounder, shrimp, silver cod, salmon, and more.

The "All-topping Marinated Sushi Bowl" (2,400 yen) is an even more luxurious dish, with salmon roe and sea urchin added. Fresh oysters from all over the country are also available as an additional order, and souvenirs include "Seared Japanese Saba Sushi Roll" (1,300 yen) and "Conger Eel Sushi Roll" (1,300 yen). The shop has both counter and table seating, so you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Noda-chan from Katsuura Sushi Restaurant

[Tantanmen] Popular "Katsutan" restaurant "Oshokudokoro Ishii" where you can also enjoy curry and tonkotsu flavors

"Oshokudokoro Ishii" serves the nationally famous local gourmet dish "Katsuura Tantanmen" in the morning market area. This dish became popular among female divers and fishermen as a way to warm up their chilled bodies after returning from the sea, and has since become a staple in the area. It is said to have originated in a restaurant in the city in 1954 (Showa 29), and since it was difficult to obtain the sesame paste (chimajan) used in the original tantanmen noodles at the time, the dish developed into a unique flavor using a lot of chili oil.

The biggest attraction of "Oshokudokoro Ishii" is its rich yet refreshing soup made with its own dashi, and its wide lineup of five types of soup: soy sauce, salt, miso, curry, and tonkotsu. The proud soup is made from bonito flakes, mackerel flakes, knuckle bones, chicken bones, and aromatic vegetables.

The noodles are medium-thin and gently wavy, and match the powerful soup made with homemade chili oil and several kinds of garlic. The ramen is filled with chunks of soft onions and minced meat, and topped with crispy sliced onions and white sesame seeds for a nice accent. Soy sauce and salt are 800 yen, while miso, curry, and tonkotsu are 900 yen. For an additional 200 yen each, you can add three slices of juicy homemade Char-syu as a topping.

You can choose between regular and mild flavors, and if you don't like spicy food, try the "Namero Teishoku" (1,300 yen, 900 yen a la carte) which uses yellowtail. The secret homemade chili oil can be purchased for 800 yen, and is recommended as a souvenir.

Ishii Restaurant

Not just seafood! Bring home bounty from the mountains and sea as souvenirs

Katsuura is a treasure trove of delicious food, nurtured by the city's rich natural environment. The morning market has a wide variety of restaurants, as well as many stores selling food you can take home, so time will fly by before you know it. In addition to enjoying the afterglow of your trip when you get home, we will introduce a number of excellent products that make great souvenirs.

[Katsuobushi] Try different flavors and discover your favorite at Tsuraya Kaisan Morning Market

Asaichi Tsuraya Kaisan is a dried goods store that is highly valued by popular morning market restaurants such as Okitsu no Yu-chan and Kandaya, as well as Japanese restaurants in the surrounding area. It is a branch of the nearby Tsuraya Shoten, a long-established store that was founded over 100 years ago, and freshly shaved bonito flakes are made here.

The quality of the food is guaranteed by the industry's top chefs, and the walls are covered with photos and signatures of famous masters, including "Iron Chef of Japanese Cuisine" Dojo Rokusaburo and chef Doi Yoshiharu. Another reason for its popularity is that you can sample the food, so you can compare several varieties to find your favorite.

There are several kinds of bonito flakes, including the recommended "Hanakatsuo" (small 300 yen, large 500 yen), as well as the homemade "Okakamiso" (500 yen), the extra thickly shaved "Oshaburi Katsuo" (300 yen), the top-grade domestic "Yanagi wakame" (small 500 yen, large 1,000 yen), and the "Hijiki" (600 yen) from Boso. If you love cooking, be sure to stop by.

Morning Market Tsuruya Seafood

[Dried fish] 'Shigi Shoten' has a wide selection of homemade dried fish, mainly from Chiba

Located just a minute's walk from Katsuura Fishing Port, the long-established 'Shigi Shoten' has set up a pop-up store here for the morning market. All of the dried fish on display are homemade, including large golden-eyed snappers caught at Katsuura Port, as well as flower snappers from Chiba, horse mackerel, barracuda, sardines, pacific saury, and red fish.

The dried fish that are bathed in the pleasant sea breeze that blows through Katsuura are fragrant and rich in flavor. In winter, there are about 10 types on display, and depending on the season and weather, they also offer traditional sun-drying, as well as mirin-dried and whole-dried fish. They also arrange nationwide shipping, so even those who come from far away can rest assured.

As mentioned above, this is a temporary store, so it will be open at the main store after the morning market ends. If you can't visit during the morning market, try heading to the main store.

Shigi store

[Tsukudani] "Tsukudani Omi" is famous for its bonito and tuna Kakuni that are highly praised by gourmets.

"Tsukudani Omi" makes its own additive-free tsukudani with the motto of safety and security. It is located along Nakahoncho Morning Market Street, which is the venue for the morning market in the latter half of each month, and is open from the morning outside of that period as well.

The specialty is braised seafood, and the "braised bonito" (1,080 yen/250g) made with high-quality bonito caught in Katsuura is a must-try. This masterpiece won a gold medal at the Japan Food Selection, an award given to food analysts, who are experts in food information.

The pork is seasoned with domestic seasonings and ginger, such as soy sauce from a long-established local brewery, and is made without any preservatives or colorings, resulting in a rich, pure taste that brings out the natural flavor of the ingredients. The pork is also thick and has a strong texture. You can also compare the taste with other tsukudani at the tasting, please give it a try.

There are two types of stewed tuna (both 1,080 yen/150g): "Stewed tuna" made with fatty bigeye tuna, and "Stewed albacore tuna" which is lighter in flavor, each with its own unique characteristics. There are also other varieties such as minced meat and shigureni, so try them all and compare to find your favorite.

Tsukudani Omi

[Honey] Nakabayashi Beekeeping's homemade Katsuura honey with three different flavors depending on the season

Yasuharu Nakabayashi and his wife Aomi moved to Katsuura from Tokyo in the spring of 2013. In the fall of the same year, they started raising honeybees in the mountains behind their house and became beekeepers.

Minami Boso, with its mild climate and no scorching heat even in the summer, is ideal for beekeeping, and is a place where healthy bees can harvest nectar. Nakabayashi and his team divide the honey harvesting season into three seasons: spring, early summer, and summer. As different flowers bloom in each season, the taste, aroma, color, and other aspects of the honey reflect the individuality of each season. In addition, they sell the flower nectar, which allows you to enjoy the charms of a variety of flowers, in a raw state without any heat treatment.

Spring flower honey is made from wild cherry blossoms, rape blossoms, wisteria flowers, etc., and is light and versatile, and goes well with any dish or sweet. Early summer honey is made from clover, hazel, acacia, etc., and has a clean, refreshing aftertaste. Honey harvested in midsummer is mainly made from Japanese pepper, and is fruity and spicy. However, it is not overly sweet, so it goes well with other dishes and is perfect for Japanese food and sweets.

Prices vary depending on the size, but the morning market also offers eco-friendly weight-based sales, so if you'd like to try a small amount at a time, bring a small bottle sterilized with boiling water with you to the store. At 6 yen per gram, you can enjoy the bargain price.

Nakabayashi Beekeeping

Katsuura Morning Market is a place where you can feel the coolness of summer and warm hospitality and food in the cold winter. There are many tourist attractions in the surrounding area, so why not start your day at the morning market and enjoy a productive trip?

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