Visit Oita

The fishing grounds of Oita Prefecture are characterized by a diverse environment, including the vast expanse of tidal flats in the Buzen Sea, Beppu Bay surrounded by seawater flowing in from the Pacific Ocean, and the deeply indented rias coastline of the Bungo Channel. The characteristics of these areas are utilized in a wide variety of fisheries in each region, producing fresh fish of high quality.

As a result, a wide variety of delicious seafood dishes are available, such as white fish, which has a light but distinctive flavor of its ingredients, and red fish with elegant fat, both of which can be eaten raw without any peculiar taste.Pay particular attention to fish that are in season, as their flesh is especially firm and their taste is richer. In addition, squeezing Oita's specialty fruit “kabosu” (a citrus fruit) over the fish adds a refreshing citrus flavor that makes the fish even more enjoyable.

The area off the coast of Saganoseki, located between Oita and Ehime prefectures, is known as “Hayasui no Seto” because of the rapid tidal currents. It is believed that the horse mackerel and mackerel that grow up in this swift current form independent schools that rarely mingle with fish from other areas of the sea. As a result, horse mackerel landed in these waters grow into fat fish with small heads, and mackerel can be eaten raw with little risk of parasites. The horse mackerel and mackerel landed in this area have a moderate fat content and a strong flavor, and are specially treated as “Seki-aji” and “Seki-saba”.

Saganoseki is a rare fishing port in Japan for one-piece fishing, as the undulations of the seabed are complex, making it difficult to fish with nets. The fish are immediately released into a special container to prevent damage and deterioration of flavor due to stress.

In order to maintain freshness, fish are bought and sold using the “Tsuragai” method. Tsuragai is a method in which the price is determined by looking at the fish from the surface of the water, and weight and quality are determined based on appearance alone. This method is used to prevent the fish from getting out of hand and losing its freshness.

Seki-aji is in season in summer, while Seki-saba is in season from autumn to winter. We recommend enjoying them as sashimi or as a seafood bowl. Topping them off with kabosu, a local product of Oita, doubles the umami.

Usuki-fugu” is popular as a high-class food as well as the tiger puffer from Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The Bungo Channel and other areas where Usuki-fugu is landed are abundant with organisms that serve as food, and the rapid ocean currents of the Kuroshio Current make the meat tighter and more concentrated in flavor.

Generally, fugu sashimi is made by letting the fish rest overnight or longer to soften the meat before slicing it into sashimi, but “Usuki-fugu” is made by letting the fish rest only a short time after landing, and is sliced thickly and freshly for sashimi. The unique elasticity, flavor, and sweetness of the fish are enough to make food connoisseurs all over Japan swoon.

The natural pufferfish season in Usuki starts on August 20 and can be enjoyed until around April of the following year; from December to March, you can taste the milt with its creamy and rich taste. Sashimi is usually served with ponzu (citrus-flavored soy sauce), but at fugu restaurants specializing in fugu cuisine, you can enjoy a full course meal including A dish made with fugu skin, deep-fried fugu, and a fugu cauldron dish.

“Kunisaki Gin-tachi” refers to thick-fleshed, silvery-colored hairtail. Nutrients from the rich forests of the Kunisaki Peninsula flow into the sea through rivers, creating an environment rich in a variety of organisms that serve as food for the hairtail. The fish is aptly named “Gin-tachi” (silver sword), and boasts a beauty that shines like silver leaf, like a samurai's sword.

Like Seki-aji and Seki-saba, hairtail are landed one by one using a method called “kogi-tsuri,” in which the fish is caught while rowing the boat, so that the beautiful silver skin can be caught without damaging it. When shipped, the fish is carefully packed in a box to prevent any damage.

The fish is characterized by its light, but moderately fatty, deep flavor. It can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes such as sashimi, deep-fried and grilled fish, tempura, minced pork cutlets, and grilled hairtail coated with sweet and spicy sauce and served over rice. Even those who do not like to eat raw fish can easily enjoy these dishes.

Autumn (from September to October) is especially recommended, when the fish is fatty.

We will introduce you to the noble scallop, known as an "edible jewel" for its colorful appearance. This shellfish lives in the warm seas of southern Japan.

The colorful orange, red, yellow, and purple shells are all natural, and their beauty is preserved by carefully polishing each shell with barnacles and seaweed attached to the shell. This colorful coloration is due to genetic factors, and one theory is that they evolved to blend in with nearby coral reefs to protect themselves from enemies.

Slightly smaller in size than scallops, the scallops are thicker and more resilient, and have a sweeter and tastier flavor than scallops. The best time to taste them is from late fall to spring, when the water temperature drops.

To directly enjoy the sweetness of noble scallops, sashimi or steamed with sake is recommended. As an arranged dish, it also goes well with pasta and stew.

The hometown of Shiroshita-karei is the town of Hiji, surrounded by mountains and Beppu Bay. Near Hinode Castle, which was built around 1600, there is a place where fresh water springs up in the sea of Beppu Bay, and the marbled flounder that grew there was so delicious that it came to be called "Shiroshita-karei," which means "flounder under the castle." During the Edo period (1600-1868), it was also highly valued as a tribute to the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Shiroshita-karei is characterized by its overall rounded shape, wide tail fin, not angular, and small head. In addition, since it lives on the seabed where seawater and fresh water mix, it has no muddy smell and has a mild yet elegant sweetness.

In Japan, flounder is commonly enjoyed as a stew or fried dish, but to bring out the sweetness of Shiroshita-karei, we highly recommend eating it raw as sashimi.

Gourmet seafood from Oita is packed with sweetness and flavor from its freshness. The freshness of the seafood goes perfectly with the unique Japanese cuisine menu such as sashimi and tempura. In addition to fish dishes, be sure to check out our pages introducing local food and specialty meat dishes unique to hot spring resorts, and enjoy your gourmet tour.