Seasonal seafood guide
What is in season now in each region, with the names to show the staff.
Open UmamiHop →Today's picks for where you are, a help card to show the chef, and a menu translator. Free to use.Japan
- Nagoya (Aichi)9 dishes in season in OctoberSurrounded by Ise and Mikawa bays, known for island octopus and pufferfish, and grilled eel.
- Fukuoka (Hakata)5 dishes in season in OctoberFish from the Genkai Sea arrives the same day. Known for raw mackerel and squid, and winter oyster huts.
- Hiroshima6 dishes in season in OctoberJapan's top oyster region. Small fish and conger eel from the calm Inland Sea are local favorites.
- Hyogo (Kobe, Akashi)7 dishes in season in OctoberFamous for octopus and sea bream from the fast currents of the Akashi Strait. In winter, many travel north for snow crab.
- Kyoto (city, Tango coast)6 dishes in season in OctoberAn old capital with no sea, where Kyoto cuisine grew around cured mackerel sushi and finely scored hamo. In winter, some travel north to the Tango coast for crab and yellowtail.
- Hakuba (Nagano)8 dishes in season in OctoberA ski and snowboard town in winter, with mountain specialties like Shinshu soba, oyaki and horse sashimi. Go a little further for crab and monkfish in Itoigawa on the Sea of Japan.
- Hokkaido (Sapporo, Otaru)9 dishes in season in OctoberSeafood bowls and crab at Sapporo's markets, and Otaru's sushi street. Sea urchin from Shakotan in summer, fresh salmon roe in autumn — and in the snowy winter, miso ramen and Genghis Khan lamb barbecue.
South Korea
- Seoul8 dishes in season in OctoberPick a fish at Noryangjin market and have it sliced on the spot. Known for winter yellowtail, soy-marinated raw crab and live octopus.
- Busan10 dishes in season in OctoberKorea’s great port city. Known for raw fish at Jagalchi Market, grilled hagfish, pufferfish soup and Gijang anchovies in spring.
Seasons shift with the weather and the catch each year. Ask the restaurant what is in today.