Mercado de Karato

**Weekend sushi timing:** Arrive by 10:30 on Fridays–Sundays for best selection before stalls sell out (typically by 13:00). The most prized items — live uni, toro (fatty tuna belly), and seasonal anago (sea eel) — disappear first. The stalls operate on honor system: grab a tray, select pieces yourself, pay at end. Expect ¥100–150 per piece (Tokyo equivalent would be ¥300–500). **Fugu initiation:** If you've never tried fugu, start with fugu karaage (¥500) at the market stalls — deep-fried eliminates all toxicity concerns, leaving delicate white flesh with mild sweetness. For full fugu ceremony, reserve at Haraguchi (春帆楼, ¥6,000–15,000 course) — they invented fugu sashi (paper-thin sashimi) in 1888 and still set the standard. Book 3+ days ahead. **Live auction timing:** Arrive at 5:00am (yes, 5am) to witness the fugu wholesale auction (weekdays only, Nov–March). The auctioneers' rapid-fire chanting, the precise grading of fish by eye, and the sight of 500+ fugu laid out on ice creates a near-religious atmosphere. Observers allowed from designated gallery. Bring coffee — it's worth the sleep sacrifice. **Combine with:** After market, walk 10 minutes to Akama Shrine, then ride the pedestrian tunnel under the Kanmon Strait (15 min walk, free) to Kyushu and back — you'll have walked between Honshu and Kyushu islands underwater.