Itoshima Seafood Market

Itoshima Peninsula, 30 minutes west of central Fukuoka, juts into the Genkai Sea with 400 square kilometres of clear, cold water driven by the Tsushima Warm Current. The result is some of the finest seafood in Kyushu — particularly sea bream (tai), squid (ika), and sazae (turban shell). The Nijo Fish Market, operated by the Itoshima Fisheries Cooperative, opens daily at 10am and sells the morning catch directly to the public.

The adjacent covered restaurant row (Shima-ya) lets you buy live fish at the market, then take it 20 meters to a preparation counter where fishmongers will clean, slice, and plate your selection as sashimi for a flat ¥300 fee. Eating sea bream sashimi you selected from a tank, cut to order, surrounded by fishing boats, is one of those experiences that immediately becomes your reference point for fresh seafood.