Nachikatsuura in Wakayama Prefecture is a popular tourist area famous for the magnificent scenery of Ki-no-Matsushima and Katsuura hot springs.

Katsuura Port is one of the main tuna ports in Japan. Regardless of the season, it always has huge tuna hauls. The facility is open to the public so they can enjoy the lively atmosphere of this fishing port, making it truly a spot where tourists can enjoy themselves.

We arrived at the Katsuura Fish Market shortly after sunrise.

It is held at 7 o’clock in the morning. There already were many auction participants when we arrived busily preparing for the auction.

We were able to take a peek at the auction area...

Wow! Tuna from that day’s catch were lined up everywhere. They were all large and over a meter long. They looked quite impressive up close.

Tourists are not allowed into Katsuura Market's auction area so as not to interfere with the auction, but there is an observation deck on the second floor from where you can observe the auction.

We were given a special explanation by an official on the day we visited.

“In the case of tuna, it is more of a bidding process than auction. Buyers write the number of the tuna they wish to buy and the price they want to pay for it on a piece of paper which then goes into a box. Then the contents of the bids are read by a market official who then announces the winning bidder."

At that point the winning bidder is given the right to that tuna. Sometimes the tuna is packed in ice in Styrofoam or wooden boxes and shipped to another market.

This happens very quickly because the value of the tuna depends on its freshness. As the auction progresses the number of tuna steadily diminishes.

"Albacore tuna, bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna, marlin...All types of tuna catches are brought here. At this time of year the hauls are rather small; today’s was about 50 tons. When there is a big haul more than 100 tons of tuna will be sold.”

That is too large a number for me to fathom, but just watching the auction of such a large amount of tuna was definitely a worthwhile experience.

Tuna auctions are not something you can easily see, so if you have the opportunity to see one I am sure you will enjoy it.

After enjoying the tuna auction we next visited the bustling Katsuura Nigiwai Fish Market. This facility is located next to the fishing port. It is just as lively and full of activity as the auction.

Katsuura fishing port boasts having the largest tuna hauls in the country. This tourist facility was opened in order to enable visitors to learn more about Katsuura and in it there is a corner that serves food made with local ingredients as well as a corner that directly sells local specialties.

You first come to the direct sales corner when you enter the facility.

Vegetables, fruit, eggs, and other items grown locally as well as processed seafood and gift items are sold here. Handcrafts in addition to food are also offered.

Especially popular are the vinegar made with the water of Katsuura Nachi Falls and Nachi black candy.

You can also buy the Yatagarasu Dharma here which is indispensable for those making a pilgrimage to Kumano Sanzan. Many of the items offered here are only available in Katsuura. I found myself wanting to buy many of them.

From the direct sales corner we went next to the food corner. Here you can enjoy tuna and other various Katsuura dishes. So before doing anything else, first have breakfast here.

“Visitors who stay overnight drop by here to eat breakfast and also buy souvenirs of their trip,”

Mr. Hori happily told us. Mr. Hori’s liquor shop sells local sake brands and snacks in addition to beer and other drinks.

There is also a wood deck eating space at the Nigiwai Market. Meals taken here while caressed by ocean breezes are twice as delicious. It is nice to have a lavish breakfast like this sometimes.

After leaving the food corner we noticed a large group of people in the back.

An announcement to that effect prompted a large crowd of people to gather.

The tuna to be filleted had just been purchased at the adjacent Katsuura fishing port.

“First you take off the head. If the tuna is really large it requires the use of a saw.”Everyone craned their necks to see the tuna being filleted as they listened to the explanation by the shop owner mentioned earlier who sells tuna dishes.

Adults and children alike looked on in amazement as the tuna was quickly filleted. Seeing all the tuna lined up at the market auction was impressive, but seeing a tuna filleted before one’s very eyes is equally impressive. This filleting show was very entertaining and included sale of the filleted tuna as well as a quiz in which the weight was to be guessed.

If you feel a bit tired after walking around the market you can soak your feet in the foot bath in front of the Katsuura fishing port.

Soaking your feet in the foot bath while watching fishing boats in the harbor is a great way to relax.

Look, eat, and experience.... You can do all of this at the Katsuura Fishing Port Nigiwai Market. As the old saying goes, “the early bird gets the worm”, and that applies to enjoying Katsuura. Be sure to visit Nachikatsuura when you are in the area!

Text by:Advision