Since ancient times, "Akashi sea bream" and "Akashi octopus" have been said to be special. The Akashi Strait divides the sea into the Harimanada Sea, which has a lot of sandy areas, and Osaka Bay, which has rocky shores, making it a rare sea area rich in high-quality bait such as shrimp and crab. Many shallow areas are suitable for fish spawning, attracting a wide variety of fish, and the strong currents of the Akashi Strait help them grow, giving them a richer flavor.
Eriko Kishimoto, a private chef, procures fish from Tsuruichi, a seafood dealer in Akashi run by Masaki Tsurutani. She says, "I arrange seafood from all over the country, but the sea bream, sea bass, and conger eel from Tsuruichi are indeed exceptionally fresh and delicious." Wanting to learn the secret to their flavor, I visited Akashiura Fishing Port with Kishimoto.
The auction at Akashiura Fishing Port starts at 11 a.m. Fishermen themselves sort the fish unloaded from boats that returned to port from late night to early morning, based on size and condition. The fishing cooperative has large holding tanks, where tired fish are acclimated to the temperature difference with the sea and then rested using various techniques. This technique, called "ike-koshi" (live holding), is a characteristic of Akashiura Fishing Port, ensuring the fish are in the best possible condition until the auction.
"Akashi fish has a strong brand, so the prices are higher," says Tsurutani. "That's why fishermen take the trouble to handle them carefully, and we also buy them at a high price if we think they're good fish." This statement reveals Akashi's pride.
Once the auction began, the rapid-fire exchange of specialized jargon and signals was impressive. Although the catch was small that day due to rough seas, sea bream, Spanish mackerel, line-caught sea bass, squid, and scorpionfish were auctioned off in a blink of an eye. Buyers would instantly assess the fish and purchase if the price was right. The successful bids were then transported to holding tanks next to the fishing port.
"The biggest difference between Akashiura Fishing Cooperative and other cooperatives is that we sell live fish. So our selection process might be a bit different from the norm. For example, to ensure we don't run out of fish to sell even during rough weather, we select fish that can stay active for five days. It's a given that they should be plump and well-shaped, but on top of that, we choose those with vitality. We can instantaneously assess every single scale. And once we've bought the fish, we rush them to the holding tanks as quickly as possible. That's why we're called 'Japan's fastest-running fishing port' (laughs)."
There are two types of holding tanks: "circulating tanks" with low temperatures and "flow-through tanks" with continuously circulating seawater, which are used depending on the fish species.
"The fish have escaped for dear life, so they're naturally tired. Fish muscles contain a substance called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the precursor to inosinic acid, a umami component. Since it's also an energy source for muscle contraction and movement, if fish thrash or get stressed, ATP is consumed, and they become less delicious. That's why we let them rest in the holding tanks for a while."
The well-known "ikejime" technique is a process performed to eliminate stress in fish and minimize the deterioration of their quality.
"Ikejime is a technique that suppresses ATP consumption by destroying the fish's nervous system. By passing a wire along the spinal cord to destroy the nerves, the fish's rigor mortis is delayed, and its freshness is prolonged."
The staff at Tsuruichi swiftly destroy the fish's brain, rendering it brain-dead, before performing the ikejime process. Then, they achieve perfect bleeding by utilizing the heart's pumping function.
"After all, processing Akashi fish on-site with Akashi seawater is the best way to maintain its freshness. The fact that we can work at a fishing cooperative with free-flowing seawater is also a benefit for us."
"I always use ikejime fish, but this is only my second time experiencing the process myself. The work itself is simple, but it definitely requires skilled proficiency to do it quickly," says Kishimoto.
While Mr. Tsurutani consistently demonstrates his professional skills, he revealed that when he first entered this industry, he was "the person least able to buy at Akashiura Fishing Port."
"As a third-generation fishmonger, I had the right to buy fish here, but my father's generation was what you'd call a typical local fish shop. They bought and sold fish from wholesalers at the market and only occasionally came to the fishing port. So, all the auction negotiations, fish preparation methods, and selling techniques were self-taught. Initially, I couldn't buy anything at all (laughs)."
After graduating from high school, he aimed to become a chef, working in Japanese and Italian restaurants, but he took over the family business after getting married. However, at that time, shopping centers were emerging, and shopping districts were facing a crisis.
"The old-fashioned small fish shops were no longer viable. So, without hesitation, I decided to try selling to the wholesalers I used to buy from. First, I went to sell fish sourced from the fishing port, and then I started getting orders like, 'Go buy it at Akashiura' or 'Buy it directly from the fishermen.'"
With his background as a chef, he can recommend fish to chefs who say they want to make "acquapazza." Tsurutani's unique approach bore fruit, and his business grew steadily.
However, after a while, a question arose. No matter how good the fish, when a large quantity is caught, the market price drops. He wondered if it was fair that middlemen were the only ones who benefited, even though the fishermen's labor and the restaurants' purchasing prices remained the same.
"As I made more friends among fishermen, I started wanting to do something about this system where only middlemen benefited. I wanted to buy good quality products at a good price. And if only 10 out of 100 fish caught by a fisherman were top-grade, I wanted to protect the price of the remaining 90 fish as much as possible."
"I want to sell good quality products directly to those who understand their value." So, Tsurutani's next move was to suddenly cold-call Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo.
"I suddenly went to 'Nihonryori Ryugin,' which a friend told me about, and introduced myself as 'an Akashi fishmonger.' They recognized the deliciousness of the 'Batsugun-jime' sea bream I developed.
From there, my direct relationships with restaurants increased, and now most of my customers are restaurants. Actually, I happened to be wearing a Maximum the Hormone (rock band) T-shirt, and they laughed, saying, 'That's not fish, that's hormone (offal)!' and we became friends (laughs)."
Now, he supplies fish bought at the fishing port and fish ordered from contracted fishermen to various restaurants, from standing bars to high-end fine dining establishments.
"Not all restaurants demand the best fish regardless of price, and I don't like to see what fishermen have worked hard to catch go to waste. Although the fishing cooperative offers a wide variety of high-quality seafood, there are, of course, underutilized fish and small fish that are put on the back burner. The fishing cooperative basically buys any fish left over from the auction, but I also try to buy as much as I can."
With the exception of extremely small ones, most fish are processed by Mr. Tsurutani's unique method before being sold, ensuring exceptional freshness and deliciousness even if they are not top-grade.
"In the beginning, I didn't have much capital, so I couldn't do business the way I wanted. I couldn't bring myself to buy anything if I thought something better might come along next, and I didn't have the luxury of buying everything. It was only after I gradually grew and was able to buy a certain quantity that it finally felt like a real business."
Tsurutani's ultimate goal is to "attract many people to Akashi with the appeal of Akashi fish. I want people all over the world to eat Akashi fish."
To that end, he is trying various initiatives. One of them is "Batsugun-jime," a processing method completely different from ikejime. He accidentally discovered this method during trial and error, and when he tried it, it had a chewy, plump new texture.
Tsurutani's unique "Batsugun-jime" method involves performing ikejime without brain death, and then keeping the fish alive for a while. By paralyzing only the motor functions, the flesh remains soft without rigor mortis and acquires a matured umami flavor.
"It has a texture that makes you want to chew it a lot, and as you chew, the aroma and flavor of the fish emerge. It's been well-received as delicious, and I even presented it at an international culinary conference. Now I'm in the process of analyzing its principles. Our specialty is a high-quality fish carefully selected and prepared with 'Batsugun-jime.' Please try it once."
To maximize the deliciousness of Akashi fish, he continues to strive for even greater heights, utilizing all the skills and knowledge he possesses. He is also meticulously developing unique plans to spread this knowledge. Here was "Japan's best fishmonger," whose future is so promising and captivating.
