JAPAN TRAVEL: Hakodate Morning Market Offers Fresh Seafood and Produce Daily
If you’re a seafood lover, you’d definitely enjoy going through Hakodate Morning Market’s nook and cranny.
The Hakodate Morning Market (Hakodate Asaichi) is composed of more than 250 stores that sell different kinds of local products like seafood, vegetables, fruits, and souvenir items.
The Asaichi is best explored by walking along the streets and to see and taste fresh produce and freshly-caught seafood.
One of the members of the Hakodate Morning Market member stores is the Hakodate Morning Market Square. This establishment is divided into sections: the wet market part houses products such as fresh meat and seafood, while the dry market sells dry goods such as fruits and vegetables.
The dry Market area
Tip: it’s better to go here early in the morning, as products get sold out fast!
Also read: JAPAN TRAVEL: Fort Goryokaku in Hakodate, A Historical Star-Shaped Citadel
Inside the Hakodate Morning Market Square, there is a squid-fishing area where people line up to catch live squid. Ask anyone what they can recommend for you to buy at the market, and you’ll almost always get the same answer: squid. Hakodate is popular for squids, and that explains the abundance of seafood they have in their local markets.
In this activity, you can catch a live-squid on your own using a short rod. It’s a fun activity that kids will surely enjoy as it’s relatively easy.
Robi Domingo tries squid-fishing at the Hakodate Morning Market Square
After you catch your own squid, the chef immediately prepares it into fresh squid sashimi for you to eat. For those who haven’t tried raw squid yet, it tastes a bit firm and chewy compared to other sashimi. It’s also best eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.
Fresh squid sashimi
One of the highlights of the Hakodate Morning Market is their fresh seafood rice bowls. Some restaurants open very early in the morning which serves fresh seafood on top of steamed rice.
If you want something other than seafood, you may visit the food court for more options. They have coffee, tea, and other beverages, and they have filling meals as well.
Every morning, the market is filled with eager shoppers and accommodating vendors who will assist you with your needs. Refrigerated Overseas Courier Service is also available in select countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines!) so if you wish to shop extravagantly, you may gladly do so! Just inquire at the general information counter for more information.
How to get here
It only takes a minute to walk towards the market from Hakodate Station. If coming from the Hakodate airport, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes by bus to get here. By streetcar from Goryokaku, it takes about 15 minutes.
DETAILS
Address: 9-19 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate-shi, Hokkaido
Operating Hours: 5 a.m. to 12 noon
Website: https://www.hakodate.travel/en/top7/morning-market
This also appears in Philippine Primer English Magazine’s January 2019 issue.
