Tanga Market (Tanga Ichiba)

Tanga Market (Tanga Ichiba) in central Kokura is one of Kitakyushu's most atmospheric local experiences — a covered market with over 100 stalls selling fresh fish, vegetables, pickles, tofu, prepared foods, and street snacks. The market has been in continuous operation for over a century and retains the density and character of a genuine working market rather than a tourist reconstruction.

The best time to visit is mid-morning when the fishmongers and produce vendors are in full swing. The market's eating stalls — particularly those selling hormone-yaki (grilled offal) and local-style oden — are as good an introduction to Kitakyushu's food culture as any restaurant. The station for the Kitakyushu monorail is immediately above the market entrance, making access straightforward from Kokura Station.

things to do market eating out
A story
Tanga Market has been feeding Kitakyushu since 1910, when the first permanent stalls were set up near the Murasaki River. The market survived the American bombing raids of 1944 that heavily damaged the Yawata steelworks — partly because the market was in Kokura, and Kokura itself narrowly escaped the atomic bomb on 9 August 1945. Cloud cover over the primary target diverted the Bockscar to Nagasaki. Tanga Market remains as an inadvertent beneficiary of weather.