Karato Market: Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Honshu

On this day, my wife was busy but my kids weren't so we headed out from our base in Fukuoka to go to the Karato Market for some breakfast.  Karato Market is well known as the mecca for blowfish otherwise as Fugu in Japanese which is the most poisonous fish in the world.  If not prepared properly by a licensed chef, death will come fast and furious. Luckily for you and me the last registered death as the result of eating this delicacy was way back in 1975.  It's a rigorous process to become a fugu chef, so in my mind the risk is minuscule and the reward in terms of taste and flavor are indeed amazing.

From Fukuoka, its about a 1 hour drive and you will be able to drive across the Kanmon Strait Bridge crossing from Kyushu into the main island of Honshu.  It's very special to see how close the the 2 islands are and the fact that there have been many wars over the last 500 years by clans striving to increase their territorial gains in the region.

Upon arriving ,you can see how popular the area really is by checking out the number plates of the cars in the carpark. Some cars have just come from around the corner for a quick bite to eat whilst many are from various reaches from all over Japan. I always like to arrive quite early in the morning for my seafood bowl consisting of rice and various types of sashimi, then a dollop of wasabi and a topping of seaweed is a meal made in heaven that even non seafood lovers could enjoy.  Because of the numbers it took us a while to be seated but it wasn't too long, in fact the 20 minutes of waiting gave us some time to go for a stroll and do some sightseeing in the area.

This 20 minute stroll created a huge appetite and when our meals arrived we finished then in no time flat.  I must say it was not only absolutely delicious but such a reasonably priced meal.  Once finished, we did some more sightseeing on the upper deck of the market and on the floor getting a real close up of the fish available for purchase.

This location has become a popular stop on our day tours out of Fukuoka.

I am sure you and your private party will not be disappointed.

Please click on this link to see the Karato Markets on a map:

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

Maritime symbols

Maguro on the rice

The main market below

Nice place to take in the views

This is Fugu

Sashimi and tempura meal

Blowfish up close

Looking very cute

Lots of information to digest

Well marketed product

The fish market in action

Checking out the Kanmon Strait Bridge

Uni (sea urchin) meal

The entrance

A real anchor to touch

A throwback photo of a previous visit

Please click on the video below to see more about the Karato Market in Shimonoseki City:

Please click on the videos below to see the sights around the Kanmon Strait Bridge: