Last year saw a record-low catch of bonito in Tohoku, but this year there is a bountiful harvest. Kesennuma is excited to reclaim the title of Japan’s top bonito catch, and this year the rock oysters, which are in season, are also extra large.
■Seasonal “Rock Oysters” are Extra Large This Year Rock oysters, which come into season in early summer, are large and plump. Rock oysters from Saiki City, Oita Prefecture, are characterized by their large size, rich flavor, and creamy taste compared to ordinary rock oysters. Masayo Hashimoto of Maruni Suisan: “They are all wild-caught.” “(Q. Are they big?) These are still small. Some weigh over 1 kilogram.” They may look big, but she says these are still on the smaller side. Along the Nichiho coast, the rock oyster season, which begins in early summer, is moving northward, and is now at its peak in Saiki City. They are delicious raw, grilled with cheese, or fried. Masayo Hashimoto of Maruni Suisan: “The oysters are plump. Especially good. They feel heavy when you hold them. The sea has power. This Nishinoura Bay here.” Why are the oysters from Saiki City so big? Issei Nagasaki, lecturer at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology: “It is an area with a ria coast, so nutrients flowing in from the land tend to accumulate. Organisms that live there grow in a highly nutritious environment, so they tend to be plump and large. Last year, the Kuroshio Current’s large meander ended, and it is possible that the Kuroshio Current now flows nearby, allowing even more nutrients to flow in.”
■Why? A turnaround from poor catches to a bountiful bonito harvest And the first bonito of the season, which is in season now… fills the conveyor belt. Fishery officials are smiling at the bountiful harvest. Ryuji Ando, President and CEO of Isoya Suisan Co., Ltd.: “We will definitely reclaim the title this year. Number one in Japan.” Kesennuma City has boasted the top catch in Japan for 28 consecutive years, but last year, due to a poor catch, it relinquished the top spot to Katsuura City in Chiba Prefecture. Footage from last year shows the conveyor belts were almost empty. However, on the morning of the 2nd, they were overflowing. This year, by the 1st, the total catch had already exceeded last year’s total, reaching approximately 6,800 tons. When asked about the reason for the abundant catch, the Miyagi Prefectural Fisheries Technology Research Center said that while there were fewer bonito migrating to Japan last year, this year it’s about the same as usual. However, they said that the reason why there are years when bonito come and years when they don’t is still not understood. At the market, customers were seen carrying four packs of bonito in one hand.
On the 2nd, bonito were selling for 1,500 yen each. The price is about 20% cheaper than usual. Customer: “(Q. What’s the best way to eat it?) Sashimi is probably the best. Last night we had it as namero (minced bonito). My relatives have a large family, so I think it’ll be gone in one night.” At lunchtime, sushi restaurants were bustling with tourists enjoying their meals. A customer from Kanagawa Prefecture said, “It’s soft. I thought it would be chewier, but it’s surprisingly light.” “It’s not fishy at all. You can simply enjoy the delicious flavor of the bonito.” Both the sushi and sashimi are exceptionally fresh. Another customer from Kanagawa Prefecture said, “It just so happens that bonito is in season right now. Of course, the shark fin is delicious too, but the flesh is even more plump and it’s a pleasant surprise.” “I didn’t know that so much bonito was being caught.” The expressions of the fishermen, who last year said, “There are hardly any fish,” also seem to have changed. Yasushi Usui, Managing Director of Kesennuma Fisheries Cooperative, said, “Even in the year of the earthquake, it continued to be the number one fish in Japan, so it’s a major fish species for this region. Last year the bonito catch was a little poor and the region was not very lively, but this year the bonito have returned, and the region is feeling more energetic.” [TV Asahi NEWS]
In Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture, also known as the “town of bonito,” there has been an “unprecedentedly abundant catch” of bonito. Supermarkets are bustling with activity, and some stores are selling bonito at 30% cheaper than last year. (
