Kaleidoscope - Morning Market by the bay

Located within the vicinity of beautiful Hakodate Bay, Hakodate ‘asaichi’ or morning market is a showplace of a large variety of local land produce and abundance of the sea surrounding the city. It is a complex of around 450 shops and stalls of different sizes and forms including restaurants serving rice, noodles and fresh seafood breakfast meals.

The market began as a congregation of small street stalls in front of the present railway station nearby after World War II. They were set up by farmers - said to be mostly ladies who had brought their farm produce to sell. Food and other necessities were in shortage then so they were a much-needed source of supply.

The stalls expanded in size, number and type of items sold. They moved to the current purpose-built premises in 1957. The market continue to provide for residents of Hakodate till present day but food sold are more of marine catches and related products than farm grown ones.

Shops in the market are opened from 5 am (6am in winter) to noon. They include restaurants serving fresh seafood breakfast. One of the popular food item is rice topped with sashimi.

There are a wide range of fresh harvest from the sea. Hokkaido is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan.

Foreign tourists and local visitors total to around 1.8 million patronizing the market a year.

Frozen long crab legs (red colour), fresh scallops and oysters are abundantly sold in this market.

Sea urchin or ‘uni’ to be consumed raw or ‘barbecued’.

Live king crabs. A variety of crab or ‘kani’ species are on sale.

The crabs in the markets of Hokkaido are mostly of large specie. This one has very long legs.

Fresh fishes and dried sea products including different types of sea weeds.

Abundance of salmons.

Salmon fillets on the line.

Giant octopus.

Squid or ‘ika’ is the symbol fish of Hakodate. A famous food item is of the city is Hakodate shio ramen which uses squid slices in place of ‘chashu’ or slices of traditional barbecued pork with the ramen. In August each year, residents gather for a wriggly street dance called ‘ika odori’ or ‘squid dance’ during the Hakodate Port Festival.