The heart of Shimonoseki's fishing trade and the world's largest market for fugu (pufferfish). The building sits right on the Kanmon Strait waterfront and operates as a wholesale fish market during the week. On Sunday mornings from 8:00 to 13:00 it opens to the public as a morning market — a lively, chaotic event where vendors sell fresh fish, shellfish, and sushi directly to shoppers. Tuna auctions take place on Sunday mornings and are worth watching if you can stomach the early start. The surrounding Karato district is full of fugu restaurants — you can move seamlessly from watching the fish come in to eating it at lunch.
Fugu season runs from October to March, when the pufferfish are at their best and prices are slightly lower than the rest of the year.