Hamayaki Saba: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Fukui)

Hamayaki saba is a whole mackerel skewered and grilled. It is one of the signature tastes of Wakasa, the gateway of the old Saba Kaido road that once carried mackerel to Kyoto. The Saba Kaido linking Wakasa Bay and Kyoto is a historic route, recognized as Japan Heritage in 2015.

Highlights

A fatty mackerel is run onto a skewer and grilled slowly so the skin turns fragrant and the flesh stays plump. The bold sight of a whole fish is striking, and the aroma of the fresh grill stirs the appetite. In the days before freezing, the food culture of lightly salting mackerel landed in Wakasa and carrying it to Kyoto lies behind the tradition of grilled mackerel.

Enjoying the Seasons

It is enjoyed all year, but the prefecture keeps a custom of eating grilled mackerel around hangesho, counted from the summer solstice. In Ono City, an anecdote survives that the lord of the Ono domain served grilled mackerel to farmers in the Edo period, carried on today as hangesho saba.

Access and Basic Information

The area around Obama City, the gateway of Wakasa, is the true home. At seaside markets and shopfronts you can find mackerel grilled to a fragrant finish. Skewered grilled mackerel also lines supermarkets and gift shops in Fukui City.

Practical Travel Notes

• It is available all year, but around hangesho in early July grilled mackerel is widely eaten in the prefecture and stocked heavily in shops.
• A whole fish is filling, so sharing among several people or flaking it over rice makes it easier to eat.
• Fresh off the grill is most fragrant, so asking at markets and shopfronts when the grilling finishes is a good guide.
• Obama has museums tied to the start of the Saba Kaido and many mackerel sushi shops, letting you pair grilled mackerel with a journey through the region food culture.

A Quick Tip

It is best while still warm. Flaking the meat over rice is also superb.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Main area where it is served: The Wakasa region, centred on Obama City. In Ono City the custom of eating a whole grilled mackerel on Hangesho, the 11th day after the summer solstice (usually around July 2), continues to this day, and it was certified as a 100-Year Food by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in fiscal 2021 (Reiwa 3).
• Public facilities where you can try it: Wakasa Obama Fish Center (2-5-1 Kawasaki, Obama City) / from 7:00 (closing times differ from shop to shop, and shops close once the fish sells out). Closed on Wednesdays, with irregular closures and a New Year break. Telephone 0770-53-1530.
• Access: About a 20-minute walk from JR Obama Station, or about 7 minutes by car from the Obama IC.
• Points to note: The Hangesho mackerel of Ono City is sold mainly on July 1 and 2 at fishmongers and food shops around the city, and some shops take advance orders.

* Opening hours and prices at individual shops vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: Obama City official tourism site Marutto Obama, Wakasa Obama Fish Center and its feature on hamayaki grilled mackerel; Ono City official website, Agency for Cultural Affairs Certified 100-Year Food: The Food Culture of Hangesho Mackerel; Echizen Ono Tourist Guide, Hangesho Mackerel)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from tourist information for Fukui Prefecture together with information published by the individual shops. Prices and product details are subject to change, so please check the official information of each shop for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Budget guide: From around 1,000 yen for a whole fish, and grilled mackerel sushi is affordable too
• Where to buy it: Supermarkets and souvenir shops throughout Fukui Prefecture, and grilled mackerel sushi sold as a station bento
• Recommended time of day: Available all year round. Warm it up to bring out the aroma
• Avoiding the crowds: Souvenir versions are well stocked and easy to buy
• Enjoy it together with: Grilled mackerel sushi, as a snack with local sake, and the everyday flavours of the Fukui table