Owase Seafood: Bounty of Kumano-Nada and Fishing Town Food Culture

Fresh fish carried in on the Kuroshio Current, rich fishing grounds fostered by a deeply indented bay, and the vitality unique to a fishing town: Owase City in Mie Prefecture is one of the prefecture's foremost fishing towns, facing the Kumano-Nada. In seas warmed by the Kuroshio, a diverse catch of bonito, tuna, and yellowtail is landed. Set out on a journey to savour fishing-town fare in this port town cradled by the grand nature of Kumano.

Highlights

• A diverse catch: The seas off Owase land a varied catch carried in by the Kuroshio. From robustly flavoured bonito and tuna to rich, fatty yellowtail, fresh fish can be enjoyed year-round. At markets and eateries near the fishing port, the day's catch is served as sashimi, sushi, and rice bowls.
• Mehari sushi: A local dish of the Higashikishu region, mehari sushi is a simple item of rice wrapped in takana (mustard leaf). Said to be named for being so large it makes the eyes open wide, it has long been enjoyed as a lunch for fishermen and mountain workers.
• Dried fish and processed goods: The dried fish loved by locals is an Owase specialty. Peek into the market and you will feel the energy of a fishing town in the lively exchanges and the rows of fresh seafood.
• Owase cypress: Owase is also famous as a producing region of Owase cypress. This fine timber grows in one of Japan's rainiest areas, where the abundant water nurtures the forests and, flowing nutrient-rich into the sea, sustains the fishing grounds.

Seasonal Enjoyment

Seafood can be enjoyed year-round, and as each species has its own season, the flavours of all four seasons can be savoured. At the market's direct-sales counter, visiting to coincide with the hours when the fresh morning catch is laid out lets you enjoy shopping amid an atmosphere as lively as an auction. Heading over early to match the opening time is recommended.

Access & Essentials

• Base station: Owase Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
• By car: Accessible from the Owase-kita and Owase-minami interchanges of the Kisei Expressway.
• At Owase Osakana Ichiba Ototo, a facility with seafood direct sales and a dining hall, you can buy fresh local fish and enjoy freshly landed seafood dishes. The morning fresh-fish sale is so popular that queues form.

Practical Travel Notes

Owase is also a gateway to the Iseji route of the Kumano Kodo, including passes such as Magose-toge, so stopping to enjoy seafood before or after a trail walk is a standard plan. Seafood rice bowls and set meals can be enjoyed from a few hundred to the low thousands of yen, and dried fish keeps well as a souvenir. Combining the town with the scenery of Kumano-Nada, such as Onigajo and Tategasaki, and the Kumano Kodo makes for a one- to two-day drive around the southern Kii Peninsula. As this is a rainy area, packing rain gear is reassuring should the weather change.

A Word of Advice

At the morning sale, the best items can sell out early, so look up the opening time and arrive ahead of the crowds. Keeping processed goods such as dried fish cool for the trip home is a safe bet. Turning the abundant rainfall of this land, where mountains press close to the sea, to your advantage, savouring both the misty forests of Kumano and the fresh bounty of the sea is the essence of an Owase trip.

📚 Sources

Information published by the Owase City Tourism Association and the official information of local facilities such as Owase Osakana Ichiba Ototo, which has a seafood market and eatery, are useful. Tourism guidance for Mie’s Higashi-Kishu area can also be checked for the Kumano Kodo Ise-ji (Magose Pass).

Business hours of markets and eateries and the start time of the morning market can change. Fees, hours, and access may change, so please confirm with official sources before you set out.

Visitor Checklist

• Time needed: About one to two hours for a meal at the market or an eatery; a half-day plan stopping by before or after a Kumano Kodo walk is classic.
• What to bring: The morning direct sale can sell out of the best items early, so come early; keep dried and processed goods chilled to carry home.
• Suggested route: Enjoy seafood at markets and eateries near Owase Station before or after walking the Magose Pass trail, then tour southern Kii Peninsula with the Kumano-Nada scenery.