Olive Hamachi: Where to Eat, Prices & Hours (Kagawa)

Olive hamachi is yellowtail farmed on feed mixed with powdered leaves of Kagawa grown olives. Yellowtail farming was first commercialized anywhere in the world in 1928 at Ato Pond in Hiketa, Higashikagawa, making it a food culture born in Kagawa. Combined with olives, this new brand emerged in 2008.

Highlights

Olive compounds are said to slow discoloration, giving vivid flesh and a clean, refined fat with little fishiness. Sashimi, marinated slices, and nigiri sushi all show off its quality.

Enjoying the Seasons

The peak runs from fat rich autumn into winter. Savor its sweetness as sashimi, or in cold months warm up with teriyaki or shabu shabu.

Access and Basic Information

Ato Pond, the birthplace of farming, lies in Hiketa, Higashikagawa, and the adjacent experience facility Mare Ricco serves fresh yellowtail dishes. Within the prefecture it is farmed in districts such as Aji and Naoshima, and it is served at sushi shops, izakaya, and roadside stations in Takamatsu. During the peak season, more shops offer it as sashimi or marinated rice bowls.

Practical Travel Notes

• Shipping mainly begins in late autumn, and outside the peak fewer shops serve it, so a visit from November into winter is the easiest time to taste it.
• The Hiketa area keeps old townscapes, so pairing your meal with a stroll enriches the trip.
• Some shops offer sashimi and marinated rice bowls from a few hundred to around a thousand yen, making it easy to try casually.
• Because yellowtail depends on freshness, shops nearer the landing sites tend to serve higher quality plates.

A Quick Tip

Shipping mainly starts in November. Visit during the peak to find the fattiest, most flavorful plate. Comparing sashimi with the marinated version lets you enjoy the difference between the sweet fat and the richness of the soy.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Sales season: In Reiwa 7 it goes on sale from October 3 for about three months, with a planned 135,000 fish. It sells out early in the new year, so autumn to early winter is the time to aim for (Kagawa Prefecture Fisheries Division).
• Definition: Farmed hamachi yellowtail raised on a set number of feedings of powdered olive leaves. The powder is produced by companies within the prefecture in Shodoshima Town and Sakaide City, and is blended so that at least 60% of the leaves are grown in Kagawa.
• A public facility where you can try it: Salt Lake Hiketa (4373 Hiketa, Higashikagawa City, tel. 0879-33-2800), which stands beside Ando Pond, the birthplace of yellowtail farming. Wasan-tei on the 2nd floor is open 10:30-13:30 and closed on Tuesdays and from December 31 to January 2. The hamachi direct sales counter on the 1st floor is open 7:00-16:00.
• Hands-on experience: The attached hands-on learning center Mare Ricco is open 9:00-17:00 (reception until 16:00), closed on Tuesdays and from December 29 to January 3, with admission of 100 yen and hamachi feed at 200 yen.

* Opening hours and prices vary from shop to shop.

(Sources: the Kagawa Prefecture Fisheries Division's Olive Hamachi Sales and Gift Campaign Begins!, the Kagawa Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives' Characteristics of Olive Hamachi, and the official Salt Lake Hiketa website)

Information Sources

This article is compiled from Kagawa Prefecture's tourism guidance and information published by each establishment. Prices, menus and seasons can change, so please check the official information of each establishment for details.

Sightseeing Checklist

• Approximate budget: Sashimi and rice bowls start in the 1,000 yen range
• Where to eat it: Restaurants and markets within Kagawa Prefecture, and around Shodoshima
• Best time of day: Both lunch and dinner. The season is autumn to winter
• Beating the crowds: Popular restaurants get busy at weekends. Go at an off-peak time
• Enjoy it together with: Olive beef, a tour of Shodoshima, and the seafood of the Seto Inland Sea