Uonotana Fish Market, Akashi - Hyogo Prefecture | The Real Japan

Uonotana Fish Market, Akashi – Hyogo Prefecture | The Real Japan | HD

You may have heard of Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, but there’s another, lesser-known fish market that’s well worth a visit – and you won’t see any foreign tourists there – Uonotana.

Akashi is a small port city in Hyogo Prefecture – not far from Kobe, on the way down the Seto Inland Sea coastline towards Himeji.

For more than 400 years the locals have been fishing off the Akashi Straights and selling their wares in a local fish market.

5 minutes walk south from either JR or Sanyo Akashi train stations will get you to Uonotana (literally ‘fish shelf’) Fish Market.

It’s a riot of colour – both from the advertising banners hanging from the ceilings, and from the vast array of fish and seafoods on the stalls below.

If you’re in this region and its fresh seafood you’re after, or you just want soak up the sights and sounds of an authentic Japanese fish market, this is where you’ll find it.

Unlike its famous, and larger, Tokyo counterpart Tsukiji Market, you’ll hardly ever see a foreign tourist here.

The market supplies restaurants in Kyoto and Kobe with fresh fish daily with wholesale trading at the market starting as early as 3:30am on weekdays.

There’s an extensive selection of sea food available to buy, and (also like Tsukiji), there are plenty of places locally where you can sample sashimi straight from the market.

As the catch is fresh daily, you can expect to see the fish, octopus, crabs and other shellfish for sale still alive.

Prices are clearly displayed on everything and although they don’t get many non-Japanese tourists here, with a bit of very basic Japanese, some pointing and a few smiles you can bag yourself some of the finest sea fish in Japan.

Alternatively, just wander around soaking up the smells, the noise, the cry of the market stall vendors. It’s a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach!

Have you been to a fish market in Japan? What did you think of it? Post a comment below – I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Get a FREE Guide to Amazing Adventures In The Real Japan:

Enrol on my FREE mini-course How To Plan An Amazing Trip to Japan:

Share This Video:

Get More Inspiration – Subscribe YouTube ►

Follow me
Follow me on Twitter ►
Follow me on Pinterest ►
Follow me on Facebook ►
Follow me on google+ ►

Music: “Midnight” by Silent Partner

As The Real Japan, Rob Dyer shares inspiration and resources for discovering and exploring Japan beyond the cliches – The Real Japan. Rob is an expert on those off-the-beaten track places and he loves to share his knowledge.

If you’re really serious about discovering and exploring The Real Japan, I’ve personally put together a free guide to Amazing Adventures in Japan that you really need to get a copy of. In that guide I cover 5 (actually there’s 6 – but don’t tell anyone!) unforgettable adventures in Japan, spanning the northern most and coldest island of Hokkaido, through the main island of Honshu, and down to the sub-tropical southern island of Okinawa. What’s more, 2 of those amazing adventures are completely free – so won’t cost you a penny!