The Best Seasons to Eat Seafood in Hokkaido (Local’s Guide)

If you’re a food lover traveling to Hokkaido, seafood should be at the top of your list.

From creamy sea urchin to juicy crabs, Hokkaido’s seafood is as fresh and seasonal as it gets. But did you know the best time to enjoy each kind depends on the month you visit?

I grew up in Eastern Hokkaido, surrounded by fishing towns and seafood markets. I have to say I’ve been spoiled with the freshest seafood since I was little! And now, I help you nail the most delicious times and places to eat seafood in Eastern Hokkaido.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the Hokkaido seafood seasons, when each delicacy is at its best, and where to find it. I’ve got you covered with real local tips and restaurant recommendations.

Let’s dig in!

Why is Hokkaido seafood so good?

Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, is renowned for its seafood. Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and the Okhotsk Sea, Hokkaido has access to a variety of seafood.

One of the reasons why seafood in Hokkaido is so good is the cold water surrounding the island. Fish in cold water tend to be firm yet fatty to survive and reproduce under cold temperatures.

Another reason for the high quality of Hokkaido seafood is the nutritious seawater. A huge current flowing through the Pacific Ocean to Hokkaido brings abundant nutrients for marine life in the region.

Especially in Eastern Hokkaido, plankton thrives and grows beneath drift ice along the Okhotsk Sea coasts during winter, feeding rich marine life in the region.

The best time to eat seafood in Hokkaido

There are various kinds of seafood that come into season at different times in Eastern Hokkaido. You will find something that’s at its peak, whenever you visit during the year. Check out when to best enjoy your favorite seafood, and where to get them!

The best time to eat sea urchin (Uni): January to June

Sea urchin, or “uni,” is one of the beloved seafood options in Hokkaido. These spiky creatures are prized for their creamy, rich, and slightly sweet flavor, and are best eaten between January and June in Eastern Hokkaido.

They are often enjoyed raw, either as a topping for sushi or on their own with a little soy sauce and wasabi. You can also find them served in a variety of other dishes, such as uni pasta.

Where to eat the best sea urchin

If you’re looking for the freshest sea urchin in Hokkaido, Shiretoko is the place. Rusu and Utoro, the two port towns on the Shiretoko Peninsula, are famous for their high-quality uni. Sea urchins from this region taste deep in umami flavor and gently melt in your mouth.

Especially, the ones from Rausu are rich and sweet, as they grow up on Rausu Kelp, which is a delicacy of Hokkaido itself and packed with nutritious.

Recommended restaurants

Here are some restaurants where you can enjoy the freshest Uni Don (sea urchin rice bowl) in Utoro, Shiretoko. The price is around 3,000 – 4,000 yen. It might sound a little pricy for lunch, but it’s totally worth it!

• Utoro Gyokyo Fujinbu – Run by local fishermen’s wives. Open from May to October.
• GVO – Run by a sea urchin fisherman himself. Open from September to March and some weekends in July and August.
• Ezogashima – Run by a local seafood wholesale shop. Closed on Sundays during winter.

The best time to eat scallops: June to October

Scallops are another delicious seafood in Hokkaido. They are harvested during the summer months from June to October, which you should aim for to get your hands on local fresh scallops. The best way to eat them is sashimi or sushi, to enjoy the sweet taste and firm, bouncy texture. Locals also love grilling them for BBQ.

If you want to get some scallops for a souvenir, I highly recommend smoked scallops marinated in oil (帆立燻油漬). The beautiful golden pieces taste smoky and savory, and last 90 days, making a perfect gift for your family and friends.

Where to eat the best scallops

Tokoro is one of the best places to have delicious scallops in Eastern Hokkaido. The town is the first scallop aquaculture site in Japan, producing thick, sweet scallops thanks to the Okhotsk Sea which is rich in plankton. Especially the ones caught in August are the best, according to a local fisherman.

Recommended shops

Here are some places where you can get the freshest scallops around Tokoro.

• Rest House Tokoro – a local restaurant famous for its scallop sashimi set
• Tokoro Gyokyo – A seafood store run by a local fishery company
• Shinya – A seafood store specializing in scallop products, including smoked scallops marinated in oil (official website).

The best time to eat oysters: November to March

Hokkaido oysters are known for their sweet, briny flavor and are often enjoyed raw during its season, which is from November to March. You can also find them grilled or fried with bread crumbs (called “Kaki Furai” in Japanese), which goes perfectly with tartar sauce.

To those who are not familiar with eating oysters, they might look somewhat underwhelming – but give it a try at a fresh one in Hokkaido. It’s worth it. Hokkaido oysters don’t taste overly fishy, but you will enjoy a nice ocean flavor and a plump and springy texture.

Where to eat the best oysters

Akkeshi and Saroma are the famous destinations for oysters in Eastern Hokkaido. Saroma offers the best oysters in the region, and is often said to be the best in Japan. While the size is relatively small, Saroma oyster is renowned for its sweet, rich, and creamy flavor.

There are a couple of local seafood shops that sell fresh oysters with shells. Some are okay to eat raw, some need to be cooked – make sure to check with the shop. My favorite way of enjoying oysters from a local market at home is steaming them with Japanese sake! The oysters get fluffy and juicy cooked this way.

Recommended shops

Here are some places where you can get fresh oysters in Saroma.

• Saito Shoten – A popular local seafood store with many seasonal options
• Michi no Eki Saroma – A rest area with a souvenir shop and a small restaurant (official website).　
• Oyster Festival – Held in Yubetsu on November 23rd every year

The best time to eat crab: all year around

There are 4 major varieties of crabs in Eastern Hokkaido. They come in season in different areas and at different times throughout the year, which allows you to enjoy them whenever you come to Eastern Hokkaido!

• Red king crab (taraba-gani) – Known for its large size and sweet, succulent meat. In season from September to November.
• Snow crab (zuwai-gani) – This has a more fibrous texture than king crab, with a briny, savory and salty flavor. In season from April to June.
• Horsehair crab (ke-gani) – Small but full of flavor – dense and delicately sweet. In season from March to June (the Okhotsk Sea area), September and October (the Pacific Ocean area).
• Blue king crab (hanasaki-gani) – A rare kind that comes into the season only from July to September, rare, found in Nemuro. Sweeter and slightly milder in flavor than red king crab.

Some hotels offer crabs in their dinner buffet, attracting a number of travelers within Japan and from abroad, especially from Asian countries. Crabs are enjoyed in many ways in Hokkaido, such as raw, steamed, and shabu shabu, in which you swish raw crab legs in steaming hot water lightly seasoned with kelp to cook them to your liking, and enjoy!

Where to eat the best crabs

Many crab lovers often choose horsehair crab (ke-gani) as their favorite. In Eastern Hokkaido, you will find the best horsehair crab in Mombetsu and Abashiri, the two port towns in the Okhotsk region, between late March to late April right after drift ice disappears from the Okhotsk Sea. Drift ice triggers plankton blooms beneath the snow-covered sea ice, providing rich nutrients for marine life, including the horsehair crab.

Recommended restaurants

Here are some local restaurants where you can get delicious crabs in Mombetsu.

• Mombetsu Fisherman’s Restaurant – Many seafood meal options, including crabs, for a reasonable price
• Marukaichi – A seafood grill restaurant run by a local fishery company
• Marutomi – A seafood restaurant offering a variety of seafood teishoku sets

The best time to eat salmon & ikura (salmon roe): September to November

Hokkaido is famous for its delicious salmon. They are caught off the coast when they are returning to a river where they were born, for laying eggs after spending 4 years at the sea. Whether you prefer it grilled, smoked, or raw, there are endless ways to enjoy salmon in Hokkaido.

Ikura (salmon roe or caviar) is one of the most popular delicacies in Japanese cuisine. Fresh, high-quality ikura tends to be expensive, but you can enjoy them for a reasonable price during its season in Hokkaido. Make sure to try ikura don (salmon roe rice bowl)!

Fresh salmon roe that is still in an ovarian membrane (“sujiko” in Japanese) is sold at local supermarkets in autumn. You can make ikura by yourself by separating each roe with running water and seasoning them in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin (sweet Japanese cooking sake) overnight. Then you’ll have a bowl of ikura only to yourself!

Where to eat the best salmon & ikura

Salmon fishing takes place in many places across Eastern Hokkaido, such as Shibetsu, Shiretoko, Abashiri, Mombetsu, and Kushiro every autumn.

Recommended restaurants

Here are some restaurants where you can get delicious salmon and ikura!

• Takeda – A local cuisine restaurant offering various seafood meals in Shibetsu
• Utoro Gyokyo Fujinbu – Run by local fishermen’s wives in Utoro, Shiretoko. Open from May to October
• Yoshida Sampachi Shoten – a seafood izakaya restaurant in Abashiri

Your next steps

Now you know the best seasons to enjoy seafood in Hokkaido! What else are you craving in Hokkaido? Fresh sushi, local ramen, Yakiniku (Japanese-style BBQ), or some Hokkaido sweets?

Hope you enjoy your foodie trip in Hokkaido at your best time.

Happy trip planning!