Accueil/Préfecture de Kochi/Kochi City/Katsuo no Tataki

Katsuo no Tataki

Little known

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katsuotatakibonitostraw firelocal specialty

Photo: ノボホショコロトソ / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) · original

Le tataki de katsuo est le plat emblématique de Kochi : un filet de bonite brièvement saisi sur des flammes de paille de riz, laissant l'intérieur cru et rosé. Il est servi avec de l'ail, du gingembre, de la ciboule et du jus de yuzu. La version de Kochi se distingue par l'usage du feu de paille (wara-yaki).

Informations essentielles

Horaires d'ouverture

Hirome Market stalls 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM (some stalls from 7:00 AM). Meijiya specialist restaurant: lunch 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, dinner 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM.

Fermé: Hirome Market open daily. Some stalls close on the 2nd and 4th Sunday each month — check the market website.

Tarif d'entrée

Free entry to Hirome Market. Individual tataki plates ¥800–1,500. Meijiya katsuo zukushi course ¥4,500. Sake glasses ¥400–600.

Meilleure saison

April–June (spring hatsugatsuo, leaner and fragrant) and September–November (autumn modorigatsuo, richer and fattier). Both seasons are excellent; autumn tataki is the local favourite.

Durée de visite

30–45 minutes

Comment s'y rendre

Informations d'accès

Dans toute la préfecture de Kochi ; le Hirome Market est le point le plus accessible (5 min à pied de JR Kochi). Portion : ¥800–1 500.

Accès détaillé et horaires

Gare la plus proche

Haridamae Station (Tosaden tram line), 10-minute walk to Hirome Market.

Temps de trajet

From Kochi Station: 10-min walk or 5-min tram to Haridamae. From Tokyo: fly to Kochi Ryoma Airport (75 min) then Tosaden bus to city center (30 min). From Osaka: Shinkansen to Okayama then limited express Nanpuu (2.5 hrs to Kochi).

Comment y aller

Tosaden (tram) from Kochi Station to Haridamae (5 min, ¥200). Walking from Kochi Station (15 min). Taxi from Kochi Station ¥700–900. Kochi Ryoma Airport to city: airport bus 30 min.

Meilleur moment pour visiter

10:00–12:00 for fresh morning tataki before the lunch rush. Or 17:30–19:00 when the market fills with locals after work — the most authentic atmosphere.

Conseils pour éviter la foule

Hirome Market is packed Friday and Saturday evenings (18:00–21:00) — tables are scarce. Weekday lunches are spacious. The Sunday morning crowd arrives around 10:30 after the nearby market, then thins by 12:30.

Informations de stationnement

No parking at Hirome Market. Use Obiyamachi covered car park nearby (¥300/hr, max ¥1,200/day) or walk from Kochi Station. Driving is not recommended in central Kochi.

Guide d'initié

Ordering at Hirome Market: Walk the entire market first (8 minutes end-to-end) before committing. Look for stalls with visible straw-fire grills — the smell is unmistakable. Stalls marked 'warayaki' guarantee traditional preparation. Order the 'toku tataki' (premium grade, ¥1,200) — larger, fattier katsuo caught that morning.

Condiment layering: The plate arrives with garlic slices, sliced onion, grated ginger, and ponzu. First bite: tataki alone. Second: add ponzu only. Third: build the full stack (garlic + ginger + onion). The progression shows you what each element contributes. Locals finish with a splash of yuzu juice.

Best season: April–June and September–November are katsuo season in the Tosa Bay. Spring katsuo (hatsugatsuo) is leaner and more delicate; autumn katsuo (modorigatsuo) is fattier and richer. Both are excellent; autumn is more prized.

Pairing: Kochi is sake country. Order a glass of Tosatsuru or Drunken Whale (both local breweries) — the clean, dry profile cuts through the richness of tataki perfectly. Hirome has dedicated sake counters.

For the premium experience: Book a reservation at Meijiya (明神丸, near Hirome) — a tataki specialist with a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating. Their 'katsuo zukushi' course (¥4,500) includes three cuts of tataki, katsuo sashimi, and katsuo ochazuke. Reservations required (English by email).

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