Start your market tour!

In my last column, I mentioned that there are six markets in Otaru. Today, my family and I went to Nantaru Market. It's called Nantaru Market because it's close to JR Minami-Otaru Station.

This is a very popular market, attracting many visitors from Otaru residents as well as from Sapporo.

In fact, it has a long history, with the "Old Minamitaru Market" being built in 1949 after the end of the war. At the time it was a tenement building, but it was later converted into the current Minamitaru Market building in 1968.

First, get some sea urchin, which is in season now!

Minamitaru Market is a market where you can find everything from fresh fish and meat, vegetables, bread, coffee, tableware, and miscellaneous goods.

However, the thing I'm most interested in when I come to the market at this time of year is, of course, sea urchin from Otaru! This year, the sea urchin fishing season opened on May 15th, so I was excited, and finally, I was able to get some Otaru sea urchin at Minamitaru Market!

I also bought fresh Hakkaku seaweed and herring sashimi for 400 yen each. I can't help but grin as I shop, thinking to myself that tonight's drink will definitely be Japanese sake.

Next to it, I took pictures one after another!

Towako doesn't actually like fish, but when she has a camera she can't leave the fresh fish section. She took pictures of shiny Atka mackerel, octopus heads, sea squirts, and more, and even took pictures of the Atka mackerel T-shirts worn by the fishmonger and the young man working at the store (lol).

Many shop staff will even pose for photos when children point them at the camera.

From Otaru strawberries to dragon fruit!

Next we headed to a greengrocer.

Here too, there was a wide selection of seasonal vegetables and fruits. Among them, we found "Kentaro," freshly picked strawberries from Otaru, and both of us were thrilled.

"They grow strawberries in Otaru too! They look delicious!" Towako said with sparkling eyes.

Next, Towako discovered dragon fruit.

The vegetables and fruits on display at the market already look delicious, but if there's dragon fruit that you've never tried before...of course you'd want to try it (laughs).

So I bought some along with the strawberries. Surprisingly, the fruit and vegetable store, Sugimoto Shoten, also accepts PayPay. This was my first time paying with PayPay at Minamitaru Market.

It's great to see that the number of stores in the market that accept cashless payments is gradually increasing.

I can't stop looking at all the delicious things...

Next, I saw some plump and delicious looking daifuku. Looking more closely, I realized it was from the shop of Nojima Seika, a long-established company in Otaru founded in 1925!

I was also interested in the Sakura Mochi, Uguisu Mochi, and Ohagi, but my eyes were drawn to the various colours of Daifuku. A pack of five colourful Daifuku, including pale yellow Yuzu Daifuku and black Daifuku made with black rice, was only 400 yen. So cheap!

I ended up buying another pack as a souvenir for my grandparents.

By the way, Towako loves shopping and always buys something with her own money when she goes to the market, but this time she bought some karinto from the Nojima Confectionery store. "200 yen for all this is so cheap~♡" she said, looking very satisfied.

However, I always think that Towako has really cool tastes (lol)!

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we still need to buy groceries. The appeal of markets is that even just buying groceries can be fun.

Although our visit to Minamitaru Market was short, it was a fun shopping experience for parents and children. Some people even stocked up on a week's worth of supplies.

My favorite bag, the "ICHIBA TOTE," is a large-capacity bag that can hold a lot of things, so it's great for stocking up on stuff like that. I thought I bought a lot today, but it still looked like I could fit more in there (laughs).

As the shop assistant was putting our items into the tote bag, he complimented us by saying, "It has a bottom, so it looks like it can hold a lot." Both my child and I are looking forward to discovering new delicious treats next time.

Continued in Vol.3

Head to the market with the "ICHIBA TOTE" in hand.

Sasaki Co., Ltd., a tent factory founded in 1945, has combined its long-cultivated sewing techniques with Otaru Department Store UNGA's passion for the market. Grab your ICHIBA TOTE, made from durable tarpaulin fabric used for outdoor construction such as tents, and head to the market!

Purchase page here ↓