1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 Teamwork: as one fisherman reels in a large catch, another nets it and brings it on board.2 This sand crab will soon be on its way to port.3 Members of the Matsukawaura Guide Association organize barbe-cues and other beach activities.4 Catching gobies and crabs makes for fun fishing outings with kids. At this Matsukawaura event, the group started by making their own small rods from bamboo.5 A temperature-controlled tank at Hisanohama Port keeps live floun-der fresh for market.6 Skipper Masatsugu Shibata reads the water. He’s a fisherman with 60 years of experience.7, 8 A barbecue in Matsukawaura features prized Joban-mono catch.Joban-MonoCollectively called Joban-mono, fish caught off the coastal waters of Fukushima Prefecture are prized for their sheer diversity and seasonal variety. Local ports are equally known for the high standards that preserve the freshness and quality of the catch. Matsukawaura Guide AssociationThis group of young innkeepers in Matsukawaura offer a number of outdoor activities and events. In addition to hosting seafood barbecues, they arrange tidal-flat and nighttime fishing and crabbing excursions, and chauffeured drives to prime stargazing spots—complete with hot coffee and sweets.Seaside GastronomyMasatsugu Shibata, based out of Hisanohama Port, is a veteran fisherman with 60 years of experience. When the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011, he was dragged into the floodwaters of the tsu-nami. At one point he thought he would die fighting to keep his head above surface, but then, after swal-lowing seawater, he somehow found himself able to breathe again. He summoned the strength to climb a telephone pole and managed to survive. On this day, however, Shibata couldn’t be happier. We’re on his boat out at sea, and the flounder are starting to bite.In peak season these waters can get crowded, with recreational fishing boats out, too, but this morning no other vessels are around. A proponent of hook-and-line fishing, Shibata uses a single rod and a live sardine for bait. He sinks his hook some 60 meters below the surface, where a ready flounder will latch right onto the sardine’s head. “It’s on! It’s on! C’mon, flounder!” he shouts, getting a strike. He practically dances on the spot. In this way he pulls up one giant fish after another.”Using gill nets lowers the quality of the haul,” says Masashi Kimura, who helps Shibata with the fishing. “With line fishing there’s no scarring, and the fish stay strong—we can sell them to Tokyo and other markets as premium-quality live catch.”The Sea of Shiome refers to the waters off the coast of Fukushima where the warm, northbound Kuroshio current merges with the colder, south-bound Oyashio current. It’s a nutrient-rich area that supports a diversity of marine life, including more than 200 kinds of fish. The sought-after fish caught in these waters are known in the market as “Joban-mono.” Their variety, combined with local ports’ advanced methods for maintaining freshness, have earned Joban-mono an excellent reputation in Japan. Greeneye, a small deepwater fish, is one such catch prized for its high quality. In size, though, it is no match for flounder, which often exceeds 50 centimeters. Especially large specimens are humorously called zabuton, after the floor cushions they resemble.Soma. Separated from the Pacific by a long sandbar and dotted with a few tiny islands, its calm waters paint a scene so picturesque that the lagoon is list-ed among the popularly cited “100 Landscapes of Japan.” It is even mentioned in the country’s oldest anthology of poetry, the Manyoshu, compiled from the late seventh to the late eighth century. In the Edo period (1603–1867), Matsukawaura was frequented by a lord of the Soma family for leisure outings. The tsunami in 2011 broke through the sandbar, damag-ing it and destroying a seaweed cultivation site. The breach has since been repaired, and seaweed culti-vation is once again underway.As a signature catch of Fukushima, flounder are carefully managed to sustain wild stock levels. In 2023, one million fingerlings were released, and fish measuring 30 centimeters or less must be thrown back by law. Full-size Joban-mono flounder are excellent eaten as sashimi or pan-fried in butter.Matsukawaura is a coastal lagoon in the city of A group of young innkeepers have formed the Matsukawaura Guide Association to provide new ways to enjoy this scenic part of Hamadori. Join them for a friendly evening grilling fresh seafood outdoors. They’ll show you the best way to skewer fish, and even how to get the perfect charcoal fire going. City dwellers, especially, will enjoy the fishing and other excursions they offer. Premium “Joban-Mono” Seafood11Ocean Bounty
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