Seafood in season in Jan (No.1)
We will introduce the fish and shellfish that will be in season in January by dividing them into the whole of Japan and the prefectures ranked at the top. Please note that the season may vary depending on the region and year depending on the landing conditions due to climate change, so please consider it as reference data only.
Table of contents
1. Fish and shellfish that are in season in January (whole Japan)
3. 2nd place Aomori prefecture (same number as Miyagi prefecture)
4. 2nd place Miyagi prefecture (same number as Aomori prefecture)
1. Fish and shellfish that are in season in January (whole Japan)
Of the 87 species surveyed, 28 species of fish and shellfish, which are in season in January, are the sixth largest in a year. The following is a list of 28 types of fish and shellfish in no particular order.
Fish
monkfish, flatfish, broadbanded thornyhead, red bream, spotted shad, shark, spanish mackerel, codfish, flounder, blowfish, Japanese amberjack, gurnard, mullet, tuna, pond smelt
Shellfish
ark shell, oyster, freshwater clam, scallop
Other seafood
northern shrimp, octopus ocellatus, spear squid , Japanese spiny lobster, snow crab, king crab, hair crab, cod roe, laver
The prefectures with the highest catches and types of fish and shellfish that are in season in January are Hokkaido (14 types of fish and shellfish), Aomori and Miyagi prefectures (8 types), and Shimane prefecture (7 types). In addition, Iwate prefecture and Ishikawa prefecture (5 types) are in 5th place.
2. 1st place Hokkaido
Hokkaido (14 types of seafood) ranked first in the prefectures with the highest catches and types of seafood that are in season in January. Hokkaido has been in the top 3 for 7 consecutive months.
In Hokkaido, the following 14 types of fish and shellfish are in season in January.
Fish
flatfish, broadbanded thornyhead, shark, codfish, flounder, blowfish, Japanese amberjack, pond smelt
Shellfish
freshwater clam, scallop
Other seafood
northern shrimp, spear squid , snow crab, king crab
Japan Fisheries Cooperatives has selected “Wakkanai / Rumoi’s Ginnanso grass” (season: January-March), “Sea of Japan / Funka Bay Scallops” (season: December-March) and “Hakodate Gokko (smooth lumpsucker)” (season: December-April) for “PRIDE FISH” in winter in Hokkaido. “Sea of Japan / Funka Bay Scallops” and “Hakodate Gokko (smooth lumpsucker)” were introduced before. “Wakkanai / Rumoi’s Ginnanso grass” will be in season from January.
Most of “Ginnanso grass” are precious seaweeds that can only be harvested on the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido. You can make it into a salad or put it in miso soup and eat it. I have never eaten it, but I would like to eat it at Wakkanai or Rumoi someday.
In addition, Japan Fisheries Cooperatives has selected “Ishikari Bay Herring” (season: January-May) for “PRIDE FISH” in the spring of Hokkaido. The catch of herring, which once supported the economy of Hokkaido, dropped sharply in the late 1950s. The Ishikari Subprefecture began releasing fry in 1996 and is working to recover the catch. Thanks to that effort, the herring catch has been recovering in recent years.
3. 2nd place Aomori prefecture (same number as Miyagi prefecture)
Aomori Prefecture (8 types of seafood) was second in the prefectures with the highest catches and types of seafood that are in season in January.
In Aomori Prefecture, the following eight types of fish and shellfish are in season in January.
Fish
monkfish, broadbanded thornyhead, codfish, flounder, pond smelt
Shellfish
freshwater clam, scallop
Other seafood
spear squid
As a typical winter fish, “Wakasagi (pond smelt)” has come in as a seasonal fish. Aomori Prefecture is the number one pond smelt catch in Japan. Hokkaido is second and Akita is third.
Japan Fisheries Cooperatives has selected “Aomori Hokki-gai (Sakhalin surf clam)” (season: January-March) as the winter “PRIDE FISH” in Aomori Prefecture. It’s a very sweet shellfish and I love it.
The official name of “Hokki-gai” is “Uba-gai”. It is named “Uba-gai” because it has a long life of 30 years or more. Uba means an old woman in Japanese.
“Misawa Hokki Don” is famous as a bowl using “Hokki-gai”. In “PRIDE FISH”, the season is from January to March, but you can eat “Hokki Don” in Misawa City from December 1st to March 31st. The photo is of Hokki sushi, not “Hokki-don”.
4. 2nd place Miyagi prefecture (same number as Aomori prefecture)
Miyagi Prefecture (8 types of seafood) was second in the prefectures with the highest catches and types of seafood that are in season in January.
In Miyagi prefecture, the following eight types of fish and shellfish are in season in January.
Fish
broadbanded thornyhead, shark, codfish, flounder, tuna
Shellfish
oyster, scallop
Other seafood
laver
As we introduced before, Japan Fisheries Cooperatives has selected “Oysters with shells of Miyagi” (season: November-March) for “PRIDE FISH” in winter in Miyagi prefecture. It’s in season until March, so you can eat delicious oysters in January as well.