Today’s been a day of contrasts. We started at 6:30 AM so we could get to the Katsuura Tuna Auction by 7. This is when the local fisherman put out their daily catch for sale to wholesalers, fish sellers and restaurant distributors.
The lot is divided by tuna type: bluefin, big eye, yellowfin and albacore, and the wholesalers choose the ones they like best (their choice seems to involve looking at the meat in the tail and poking around with a metal prod), then they write down their bids and hand them to the auctioneer, who announces the highest bidder for each fish. Some helper guys pick up the fish with metal hooks attached to the end of wooden sticks or drag their winning catch by hooking it in the mouth. Then they pack them in boxes with ice for delivery in small trucks. We’re not sure how much of the tuna stays in Japan, or how much is exported, but there certainly was a lot of it!
Here are some of the fishing boats at the dock.
Before we left Katsuura, we took another onsen, then wandered around and wondered what it’d be like to live in a small Japanese fishing village. It’s certainly different than any other place we’ve been so far.
Look at these tiny houses.
This evenings “catch” was a Nippon League Baseball game between the Orix Buffalos from Osaka and the Soft Bank Hawks from Fukuoka at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka. Both teams had very loud, enthusiastic cheering sections, but only the Hawks played like Big Fish. The Buffalo played like cow pies.
It was fun buying beer from one of the women who carry kegs on their backs. Plus we ate some great chicken karaage (fried chicken), which was quite welcome because it wasn’t tuna.
I hope everyone at home has a great Seder. We’ll definitely not be eating kosher, or even having matzoh, this Passover. Maybe rice crackers…? Nah.
