Nachikatsuura Tuna: Exquisite Seafood at Japan's Top Port for Fresh Tuna

Nachikatsuura Town in Higashimuro District, Wakayama is a fishing port town among Japan's very top for landings of fresh (unfrozen) tuna. The Kumano Sea, through which the Kuroshio Current flows, is an ideal tuna fishing ground, and tuna caught one by one by longline are landed here day after day. It is a paradise for seafood lovers, where you can savor melt-in-the-mouth fresh tuna to your heart's content, and a convenient base for the World Heritage Kumano Kodo and Nachi Falls.

The Lively Auction at Katsuura Fishing Port

At Katsuura Fishing Port, an auction of enormous tuna lined up in rows takes place from early morning. The scene can be watched from a viewing deck, where the intense exchanges of brokers and the sheer number of tuna are overwhelming. It is a first-hand, source-of-origin experience worth an early start. Whether viewing is allowed, the start time, and the market's closed days (many ports have days without auctions) vary by day, so it is surest to confirm before you go.

Morning Market and Superb Tuna Cuisine

At the port's bustling market, a morning market is held where fresh morning-caught fish, dried fish, and processed products are sold at reasonable prices. In the town's eateries, you can enjoy dishes using every part of the tuna: sashimi, hearty tuna rice bowls, fragrant grilled collar, and rare dishes of cheek meat and belly trim. The lean and medium-fatty cuts, tasted at peak freshness at the source, are exceptional. Popular shops can form lines at lunchtime, so arriving right at opening or slightly off-peak is recommended.

Combined with Katsuura Onsen

Nachikatsuura also has Katsuura Onsen, letting you relax in hot springs after enjoying seafood. There is a variety of distinctive baths, including cave baths at an island inn reachable only by boat, and open-air baths that seem to float on the sea at a hotel on a jutting cape. Close to Nachi Falls, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Seigantoji Temple, it is an ideal base to enjoy World Heritage sightseeing, hot springs, and gourmet food together.

Access and Essentials

• Nearest station: JR Kisei Main Line Kii-Katsuura Station; about 5 minutes on foot to the port and market.
• From the Osaka area: About four hours from Shin-Osaka to Kii-Katsuura on the Kuroshio Limited Express; from the Nagoya side, the Nanki Limited Express is convenient.
• Toward Nachi Falls: Buses run from Kii-Katsuura Station to Nachisan (Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi Falls).
• Auction viewing: Held in the early morning; whether viewing is allowed, the time, and closed days vary, so confirm in advance.

Practical Travel Notes

• The auction needs an early start: Viewing is mainly at dawn, and there are market-closed days. Confirm your visit date, time, and viewing rules in advance.
• Aim for lunch for tuna dishes: Popular eateries are busy at midday. Arriving at opening or shifting a little earlier or later makes it easier to be seated without waiting.
• Mind the inn shuttle boats: Island inns use dedicated boats for transfers, so check check-in and check-out times and the last boat in advance.
• Combine with World Heritage sites: Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha can be toured in about half a day; a Katsuura tuna lunch plus Nachisan sightseeing is a classic pairing.
• Limited public transport: Buses and limited express trains run infrequently, so plan including your return times.

A Word of Advice

Nachikatsuura is one of Japan's foremost fresh-tuna landing ports. The trip's highlights are tuna dishes at source-fresh quality and the early-morning auction. Nearby stand the World Heritage Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha, and distinctive Katsuura Onsen, so you can enjoy "tuna, World Heritage, and hot springs" over two days and one night. Auction viewing and inn shuttle boats run on set schedules, so do not forget to confirm in advance. (TabiTabi JAPAN Editorial Team)

📚 Sources

This article draws on information from Nachikatsuura Town and its tourism association, published content from the Katsuura fishing port market and local eateries, and official information from the inns of Katsuura Onsen. Whether the tuna auction can be viewed, its start time, market closure days, and shuttle-boat times may change, so please confirm with the official information of the port, each facility, or the tourism association before your visit.

Visitor Checklist

• Advance check: Auction viewing is mainly early morning and there are market closure days, so confirm the date, time, and viewing rules in advance
• How to get around: Popular eateries get busy at midday, so arriving right at opening or shifting your timing makes it easier to get in without waiting
• Booking tip: Island onsen inns use their own shuttle boats, so check the check-in and check-out times and the last boat
• Access note: The port and market are about a 5-minute walk from JR Kii-Katsuura Station
• Touring tip: Take a bus from Kii-Katsuura to Nachi Falls and Kumano Nachi Taisha; a tuna lunch plus Nachisan sightseeing is a classic combinatio

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Watching the auction (official information from Nachikatsuura Town): At Katsuura Fishing Port you can watch the bidding-style auction from around 7:00 in the morning from the "TSUNAGOOD" observation space in the second sales hall. The market is closed on some days
• Guided viewing: The Nachikatsuura Tourism Bureau runs a "Fresh Tuna Market Auction (Bidding-Style) Guided Tour" all year round. From the second floor of the first or second sales hall of the Katsuura Regional Wholesale Market, an official guide gives explanations using earphone guides. The tour is not held on days when the market is closed or on Tuesdays. Guide-only tours run every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and applications must be made by 7:00 the day before your preferred date. The course with a meal finishes at around 8:30
• Inquiries and applications: Nachikatsuura Tourism Bureau office, TEL 0735-52-6153 (open 9:00-18:00, closed on weekends and public holidays) / Tourist Information Center in front of JR Kii-Katsuura Station, TEL 0735-52-5311 (9:00-18:00, open all year round)
• Katsuura Fishing Port Nigiwai Ichiba: Open 8:00-16:00 (last order at the dining booths is 15:30), closed every Tuesday (subject to change depending on the calendar and events). 7-12 Tsukiji, Nachikatsuura-cho, Higashimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture 649-5335 / TEL 0735-29-3500
• Parking at Nigiwai Ichiba: A paid parking lot next to "Maguro no Yu" (24 spaces for passenger cars plus 1 space for disabled visitors, 25 in total). On holidays you can also use the Nachikatsuura Town Hall parking lot (free of charge)
• Access by rail: From both the Osaka and Nagoya directions, take a limited express on the JR Kisei Main Line (Kinokuni Line) to Kii-Katsuura Station
• Access by car: From the Osaka direction, take the Hanwa Expressway and the Kisei Expressway to the Susami-Minami IC, then head south on National Route 42 via Kushimoto; or head south on the Meihan Expressway and National Routes 168 and 169 via Shingu City. From the Nagoya direction, take the Higashi-Meihan and Ise Expressways and head south on National Route 42
• What "number one in Japan" means: Nachikatsuura Town officially explains this as "the largest landings of fresh tuna caught by the longline fishing method in Japan"
• Related events and facilities: The Tuna Festival is held at the end of January every year. Within Katsuura Fishing Port there is "Maguro Taiken CAN," where you can try activities such as making canned tuna

Note: Whether watching the auction is free of charge, and the price of the guided tour, are not stated as amounts on the official pages of Nachikatsuura Town or the Nachikatsuura Tourism Bureau. Note: Figures for the annual landings of fresh tuna are not published on the official Nachikatsuura Town website. (Sources: Nachikatsuura Town official site "The largest landings of fresh tuna caught by the longline fishing method in Japan," Nachikatsuura Tourism Bureau "Nachikatsuura Tourism Site," Katsuura Fishing Port Nigiwai Ichiba official site)