Omi-cho has been Kanazawa's central market for nearly 300 years. It is a covered market of about 180 shops and stalls selling fresh seafood, vegetables, and prepared food — the serious version of what tourists usually see. The market is primarily for the city's restaurants and households, but visitors are welcome to browse and eat.
The seafood is outstanding. The crab stalls are extraordinary in winter (November to March), when snow crabs are piled high. In summer, the focus shifts to ayu (sweetfish), sea eel, and clams. Several small restaurants inside and around the market serve kaisendon (raw seafood rice bowls) for lunch — arrive by noon as they sell out. The market itself is free to walk around.