Fresh chirashi sushi seafood rice bowl from a sushi restaurant in Otaru Hokkaido

Hokkaido Seafood Guide: What to Eat, Where to Eat It, and When

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Hokkaido is surrounded by three seas and produces some of the best seafood in Japan. Eating it here, at source, is cheaper and fresher than anywhere else in the country.

In This Article

The Big Four

Fresh chirashi sushi seafood rice bowl from Otaru Hokkaido
Wiki user / CC BY-SA

Crab

Four main species: king crab (taraba, Nov-Mar), snow crab (zuwaigani, Nov-Mar), horsehair crab (kegani, year-round but best Apr-Jul), and hanasaki crab (Jul-Sep, eastern Hokkaido only). Tourist markets in Sapporo sell at marked-up prices. Eat at source in Abashiri, Monbetsu, or Nemuro for the real thing.

Uni (Sea Urchin)

Peak season June through August. Shakotan Peninsula serves uni-don with urchin pulled from the water that morning. In Sapporo, Nijo Market has uni-don year-round.

Scallops (Hotate)

Saroma Lake on the Okhotsk coast produces the most famous. Larger, sweeter, and meatier than southern scallops. Served sashimi, grilled with butter, or on rice.

Ikura (Salmon Roe)

Best September through November during the salmon run. Fresh-season roe pops in your mouth differently from the frozen product served the rest of the year.

Where to Eat

  • Nijo Market (Sapporo) – most accessible, tourist prices
  • Hakodate Morning Market – opens 5 AM, fresher and cheaper. See our Hakodate guide.
  • Washo Market (Kushiro) – build your own donburi, best prices
  • Otaru Sankaku Market – good sushi near the station

Seasonal Calendar

Month Fresh
Jan-Mar King crab, snow crab, cod, herring
Apr-May Horsehair crab (peak), shrimp, abalone
Jun-Aug Uni (peak), squid, octopus, scallops
Sep-Nov Salmon, ikura (peak), sanma, hanasaki crab
Dec King crab season begins, cod, oysters

For more food, see our food guide, ramen guide, craft beer guide, and soup curry guide.

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