🟠 Local-First — Best in its home region: Fukuoka.
Last updated: 2025-11-09
Introduction
Facing the Genkai Sea, Hakata is a true “sea city.” Here, freshly caught fish from the morning market appear on lunch tables by noon, sustaining a vibrant live-seafood culture that includes sesame mackerel, live horse mackerel, and filefish with liver. Among them, translucent “ika sashimi” (raw squid) perfectly represents Hakata’s coastal richness. Without traveling all the way to the port town of Yobuko, visitors can enjoy squid landed that very day right in Hakata. 🦑
What to Try
Order the local yari-ika (spear squid). Because it’s served within hours of being caught, the flesh remains clear and delightfully crisp. As time passes it gradually turns white—making the transparent state a privilege unique to the region. After finishing the sashimi, many restaurants offer the tentacles and empera (fins) lightly tempura-fried for a second course—an elegant encore of Hakata’s sea flavor. 🍤
How to Order
Ask at the counter, “Do you have live squid today?” During the season (spring through autumn), you’ll likely find it. The chef removes it from the tank and prepares it to order, so expect about ten minutes’ wait. Prices vary with market conditions but usually range from ¥3,000–4,000 per serving. Don’t forget to request the “after-dish” tempura of tentacles. Most places are cash-only, though card payment is increasingly accepted in central Hakata. 💴
Tokyo or Trip?
Some high-end Tokyo restaurants fly in live squid, yet only in Hakata can you taste the translucent flesh at its just-caught freshness. Without traveling to Yobuko, you can experience the flavor of the Genkai Sea within the same day—an urban Local-First experience. In Hakata, a city that moves to the rhythm of the sea, that fleeting moment of transparency is something to savor in person. 🌊
Explore Nearby
- Hakata Ramen — Silky Tonkotsu 🍜
- Hitokuchi Gyoza — Bite-Size 🥟
- Goma Saba — Sesame Mackerel 🐟
- Nagasaki Champon — Local Diner Comfort 🍜
- Okinawa Soba — Island Comfort 🍜