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Visit to Kumano Hayatama Taisha at Shingu and evening at Kii-Katsuura

18 November 2016

After visiting Kumano Hongu Taisha and staying a couple of nights in the onsen villages at Hongu, we took the traditional river boat down the Shingu River to the city of Shingu where the second of the Kumano Sanzan (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, and Kumano Nachi Taisha) was located. We arrived at Kumano Hayatama Taisha at about noon time. 

Compared to the Kumano Hongu Taisha (see earlier post), the Hayatama Taisha is brightly coloured in vermillion red. Although its buildings were rebuilt recently, Hayatama Taisha has occupied the same spot on the Kumano riverbank since at least the 12th century.

The deity associated with the Hayatama Shrine is the Yakushi (The Buddha of Healing and Medicine). We bought some more souvenirs and lucky charms at this shrine, especially those related to healing and good health.

 

Pilgrims enter the shrine through the Torii Gate and clean their hands and mouth at the purification well. To pray at the altar, put a little change or offerings into the big red box at the entrance of the honden, or the main building, and ring the bell to greet the deity.

When visiting any country, it was also good to observe and experience some local culture and show your respect by saying a little prayer at the shrine.

Bow twice and then clap your hands twice to signal your presence to the local deity.


Say a little prayer for good health and healing of loved ones at home at the Hayatama Shrine.


After you say the prayers or have a moment of silence, bow one last time.


 Kumano Hayatama Taisha


An ancient Nagi-no-Ki tree (estimated to be over 800 years old) is located inside the shrine compound and is considered sacred.

 

Ema tablets at the Hayatama Shrine featuring the Yatagarasu or 3 legged crow.


There were shops located just outside the shrine. We bought a bag of local oranges for only 100 Yen (cheaper than if we were to buy them in the cities) and two more Kumano Kodo souvenir T-shirts from a small store. This area also had a lot of sour plum products and wine for sale.

There were a few restaurants in Shingu and I had already planned to have lunch at the Shikaroku (鹿六) Unagi Restaurant.  Unagi is a fresh water eel and one of my favourite Japanese foods.

The restaurant was not very prominent and I was not sure if I was at the right place even when I was standing right in front of its entrance.

Shikaroku (鹿六) Unagi Restaurant.


There was only one way to find out which was to slide the door open and go right in. As we went in, a group of three Japanese walked out, so we got a table immediately.

We ordered the premium lunch set for 2900 Yen. It came with pickles, soup and two layers of unagi on rice. After eating the top layer of unagi, there was another layer of unagi buried in the rice below.

The soup came with small pieces of unagi liver. It tasted like chicken liver with a smooth texture. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you like unagi and are in Shingu.

From Shingu, we travelled by local train to Kii-Kasuura where we would be staying for two nights. Taking a bus from Shingu to Kii-Kasuura could be an option too but the local train was the cheaper option (240 Yen per person).


Interesting decor inside the Shingu Station. Fishes hanging from the ceiling.


More pictures of the Yatagarasu on the walls of Shingu Station.


The local train travelled along the eastern shores of the Kii-Peninsula, providing views of the islets and ocean, as well as a few small villages. Tsunami evacuation signs on the train reminded us that we were travelling across a dangerous, earthquake and tsunami prone area.

 

Short scenic train ride from Shingu to Kii-Katsuura along the east coast of the Kii Peninsula.


Kii-Kasuura is a town on the south-eastern coast of the Kii Peninsula, best known for its onsen (hot springs) and its fishing industry, especially tuna. It is also a short bus ride away from the Mount Nachi (Nachisan) where the Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi Falls were located.

Our hotel in Kii-Kasuura for the first night was the Charmant Hotel. Charmant is a small and charming hotel located very near to the train station. Somehow, the hotel’s lobby gave me the feel of a hotel or B&B in the UK.

Windows that opened to a black wall. No views but it provided some ventilation.


We had booked an ensuite Western style room with only breakfast included. This allowed us the opportunity to sample the local restaurants in Katsuura.

The room assigned to us was on the ground floor, with windows but no views. The friendly lady who did our check-in does not speak English but the enterprising owner had provided printed instructions and useful information in English language for her to communicate with foreign guests. Although it is not the most luxurious, the relative inexpensive Charmant Hotel is ideal for a short overnight stay while visiting the Kumano Shrine or Kii Katsuura.

One must eat tuna when visiting Kii-Katsuura. There were many restaurants in town serving tuna and some even offered whale meat. My pre-trip research on tuna restaurants suggested that we should eat at the Katsuragi. The restaurant opened at 5 PM so we spent a couple of hours exploring the town and port.

I enjoyed walking by the wharf and photographing the boats in the warm rays of the setting sun.


We got a view of Urashima Hotel, a luxury hot spring resort that features six different types of hot spring baths. We would be staying at this resort the next day after walking the Daimon-zaka trail to Nachi Taisha. Although located on a peninsula and not strictly an island, the Urashima Hotel is only accessible by ferry boats that were modelled after cute turtles or whales. There is a similarly grand hot spring resort called the Nakanoshima Hotel, which is located on its own private island in Katsuura Bay.

Guests of resort hotels walking into the belly of a “whale” ferry.


 

Locals’ favourite past-time in Kii-Katsuura - fishing at the wharf.


  Public hot spring foot spa next to the wharf.


Kii Katsuura

Another good way to spend some time – soaking feet at a public hot spring foot spa next to the wharf.


Many sea eagles circled the sky. They knew that where there were fishing boats, there would be scraps.

 

By 5 PM, we were waiting outside the Katsuragi. There was also a couple from San Francisco waiting for the restaurant to open. They helped to snap a photo of us. This restaurant had an English menu, but with limited items when compared to the Japanese menu. The waitress does not speak English. We ordered the set dinner from the English menu to make things easy for everyone.  The couple from San Francisco sat on the next table and did likewise.

Waiting outside the Katsuragi restaurant in Kii-Katsuura.

 

There were two options of set dinner.

One that included a maguro-don (tuna slices on top of a bowl of rice) and one without the maguro-don. We ordered the set without the maguro-don and a couple of local beers.

The sashimi (centre) was good. The brown tuna (right) is like those we got from a can but this was better tasting, sweeter and fresher than canned tuna. The tuna karaage (left) were not very tasty.

We were to cook the tuna slices on a hotplate using a piece of butter.

It was good that we came early. Shortly after, more diners came in, a mix of locals and foreigners and soon, there were no more empty tables.

The set meal was not very filling so we decided to order an ala-carte dish to supplement our set dinner. We ordered the Maguro Kama Sioyaki (Grilled Tuna Cheek with salt) although we were not sure how much it would cost.

 Maguro Kama Sioyaki (Grilled Tuna Cheek with salt). Crispy on the outside and soft juicy tuna meat on the inside. 


This humongous piece of tuna cheek came. We never thought that it would be this BIG. We were guessing that it would be burning a big hole in our meal budget. Final bill was 1600 Yen x 2 for the set dinner, 600 Yen for the beer and 1300 Yen for the tuna cheek.

I think this is value for money after all. Where else can we get to eat the freshest tuna but at a tuna fishery port where freshly caught tuna were unloaded from the boats and auctioned off every morning.

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Walking up the Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Taisha and seeing the Nachi Falls, tallest waterfall in Japan

19 November 2016

After several days of good weather, the weather played punk today. There was slight rain in the morning. Borrowing an umbrella placed outside Charmant Hotel where we stayed in Katsuura, we donned our rain-proof hiking jackets and headed down towards the wharf, aiming to see the tuna auction at the fish market which starts at 7 AM.

This was what we saw.

Emptiness.

Apparently, the fish auction takes place every day, except Saturday. We would have to come back the next morning!

Disappointed, we went back to Charmant Hotel for our breakfast before continuing on our plan for the day.

Breakfast at Charmant Hotel with little English language instruction slips placed on the table. An example of how this hotel breached the language barrier.


The recommended way to visit Nachi Taisha and its waterfall is to take the bus from Kii-Katsuura station and alight at the Daimon-zaka Chushajo-mae (Daimon-zaka parking). From there, hike up the Daimon-zaka trail to the top of hill where Nachi Taisha is located. After exploring the shrine, walk down the path to the Seiganto-ji  temple and visit the Nachi waterfall. To return to Kii-Katsuura, take the bus from the bus-stop just outside the Nachi Fall area. And that was what we did.

Charmant Hotel provided free lockers at the lobby to store our backpacks after we checked out. It was drizzling slightly as we walked to the Kii-Katsuura station.  A Japanese man, who had just reached home, saw us sharing an umbrella and handed us his umbrella and told us to use it. Such kindness from a stranger.

The bus from Katsuura was crowded with mostly visitors to Nachi. The journey took about 20 minutes. We saw an elderly Japanese woman putting on a waterproof pants over her hiking pants as the bus approaches Daimon-zaka. She was smart and came well-prepared. The sky opened up and torrents of rain were pouring down when we alighted at the Daimon-zaka Chushajo-mae.  The umbrellas came in handy.

The rain was not going to dampen anyone’s spirits. Everyone who came down from the bus walked in the rain to the start of the Daimon-zaka. Daimon-zaka means "large gate slope" referring to a gate that once stood nearby.

Walking up the Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Taisha in heavy rain

Now, there is only a small torri gate at the start of the trail. The trail is about 1.5 km distance with a stair of about 600 meters long with 267 steps up the slope.

Near the start of the slope is the impressive Meotosugi - "husband and wife cedar trees", whose roots are entwined beneath the path.

Walking up the Daimon-zaka to Kumano Nachi Taisha in heavy rain

The cobblestone stair is lined with centuries old Japanese cedars, camphor tress and bamboo groves. The huge 800 years old cedar towering over us on both sides of the slope offered no shelter from the pouring rain.

Water was flowing down the stone stairs like a small waterfall and walking on the trail was like walking on a stream. I was glad that I was wearing my waterproof gore-tex hiking shoes in such conditions but my happiness was short-lived. I learnt that it was no use wearing waterproof shoes if we were not wearing a waterproof shell over our hiking pants. Water was getting in through the hiking pants and socks.

Despite the wet feet, I was “singing in the rain” as we made our way up the slope, stopping many times to take photos. The rain actually made the shots more dramatic. With one hand holding the umbrella overhead, I had to make shots using my other free hand. This is where the sculptured grip on the G5X comes in handy, compared to other small cameras or mobile phones camera.

All the hikers who alighted with us from the bus were long gone as we hiked slowly up the stone path.

There was a small sheltered area at the top of the slope, where we took a breather before continuing up more stairs to the Nachi Shrine itself. Along the way, we met an elderly Japanese couple who was also in raincoats and also shooting photos along the way. He helped us to take a couple photo at a photo stop.

At a photo-taking spot before the final climb to Nachi Taisha. All drenched from knees down.


Shops lined the path to the shrine but these shops were not doing much business on this wet day. Tourists and pilgrims were focused on reaching the sheltered compound of the shrine as quickly as possible.

Kumano Nachi Taisha is part of the UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.


Torii gate at the entrance of Nachi Taisha. More stairs after the gate have to be negotiated before reaching the shrine.  It was amazing to see that elderly Japanese were amongst those walking up the shrine bravely, in the pouring rain.


Like the other shrines, visitors could pay a small donation and get a paper fortune called the Omikuji. These fortune papers from temples and shrines offer advice for your health, career, and good luck in general. When the prediction is good, keep the paper and bring it home.

Nachi Taisha

When the prediction is bad, it is a custom to fold up the strip of paper and attach it to a pine tree or a rack of metal wires alongside other bad fortunes in the shrine grounds. It's widely believed that bad luck can be delayed or avoided by leaving the bad fortune right where you found it, on the grounds of the shrine.


The rain lightened up while we were at Nachi Taisha but the clouds soon rolled in, making the atmosphere very heavenly like.

Directly beside the Nachi shrine is the Buddhist temple Seigantoji. It was interesting to see a Shinto Shrine and a Buddhist temple co-located. In fact, for most of their history the buildings were not even under separate control and functioned as one religious institution.

 

Praying at the Seiganto-ji, a Buddhist temple at the Nachi Shrine.


Nachi Shrine

Kannon, the Buddhist deity of mercy outside the Seiganto-ji, shrouded in mist.


There is a lookout point where we were supposed to see a vermillion three-story pagoda and Nachi Falls (Nachi-no-Otaki). But it was shrouded by the clouds. Some visitors left disappointed that they could not see the tallest waterfall in Japan but we had time on our side. We went to grab some coffee from the nearby souvenir store cum cafe and wait for the clouds to clear. Before we could finished our coffee, our wishes were granted and the cloud lifted.

The clouds with the pagoda and waterfall in the background made this looked like a place in heaven.

And then as if by magic, the low clouds were totally gone.

As per plan, we walked down from the Seigantoji Temple temple to the Nachi Falls. 

Postcard perfect picture of the vermillion three-story pagoda and Nachi waterfall. The waterfall is 133 meters high and 13 meters wide and it is the tallest waterfall in Japan. The pagoda is part of the Seigantoji Temple.


Statue of the Laughing Buddha, also known as Buddha of Happiness or Matreiya in Buddhism, on the way to the Nachi Falls

 

After checking the bus schedule at the bus stop outside of the Nachi Falls **, we walked down a long flights of stairs to the base of the waterfall.

** Note: the frequency of the bus back to Kii-Katsuura is every 30 minutes. We wanted to make it back to Kii-Katsuura before 1 PM as most restaurants in the town are only opened from 11 to 2 PM for lunch.

At the base of the waterfall, pilgrims and visitors say their prayers.



Nachi Falls is one of the most sacred waterfalls in Japan as it has been worshiped as a holy dwelling place of the deities since ancient times.

We managed to make it back to Kii-Katsuura, on time for lunch.  Our original plan was to have Kumano beef at the Steakhouse Hinoki restaurant but the whole place was booked by a group. Disappointed, we searched google and decided to try a seafood restaurant opposite the train station called the Bodai instead. Bodai specialises in fresh seafood (particularly sea urchin and tuna) and umeshu plum wine. The menu was in Japanese but they had English menu on a tablet PC. We ordered a lunch set and an ala-carte dish to share.

Fatty tuna set (Nama Maguro Chutoro Katsu Teishoku) for 1500 Yen was real “value for money” lunch. The tuna was coated in bread crumbs and very lightly fried, hence the tuna remained mouth-wateringly raw in the centre. It was served with a citrus dip, rice and side dishes.


Maguro-don for 1800 Yen with similar fatty tuna and something brown, jelly-like and delicious but could not make out what it was.


Not having steak at Kii-Katsuura was a blessing in disguise.  Tuna is the food to eat at this seaside town.

 

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Hotel Urashima Resort and Spa in Kii-Katsuura for cave onsens and a beautiful sunrise over the Pacific

19 November 2016 


After walking the Daimon-zaka steps to Nachi Taisha Shrine and seeing the Nachi Falls, our Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage was officially completed. We had visited all three Kumano Shrines or the Kumano Sanzan. We took the opportunity to extend our stay at Kii-Katsuura with a stay at the Hotel Urashima Resort & Spa (pictured above).

There are over 200 hot springs in Katsuura releasing 21,000 liters of spring water per minute. Hotel Urashima has 12 independent springs itself that steadily produce an abundant volume of sulphur rich spring water of 50℃.

“Hotel Urashima Resort & Spa proudly features a cavernous hot spring bath with a wondrous view of the Pacific Ocean from its cavern, buffets centered on locally caught tuna. It has the feel of an Onsen Disneyland or James Bond-like fortress and is located on an island-like peninsula in Katsuura Bay. There are seven baths scattered throughout the facility including one in a cave overlooking the Pacific Ocean”. 

With a description like the above, who can resist not staying a night at this hot spring resort while in Kii-Katsuura.

After a fabulously good lunch at the Bodai seafood restaurant, we went back to Charmant Hotel to pick up our backpacks left in their lockers. The friendly lady at the Charmant helped made a call to the Urashima to enquire about the earliest check-in time possible for this day. It looked like we could check in earlier at 2 PM, instead of the usual 3 PM.

We made our way to the wharf and spend some time shooting photos of the boats before taking the free ferry to the Urashima.

 Fishing boat at Kii-Katsuura harbour. The fish market is the building at the back.


Colourful fishing nets drying in the sun.

 

Fishing boats at Kii-Katsuura harbour.

 

Free “turtle” ferry bringing guests to the Urashima Hotel.


Although located on a peninsula and not strictly an island, the Urashima Hotel is only accessible by ferry boats that were modelled after cute little turtles. Definitely not like a “James-Bond like” fortress, but having to take a ferry to access the hotel adds a little feeling of exclusiveness.

That “exclusiveness” feelings ended when we arrived at the hotel lobby. There were already many people walking to and fro, like a busy airport terminal. November 18, being a Saturday, meant there were hordes of tourists and locals who had made weekend trips from all over Japan to this hotel, just to use the onsens.  Those in yukatas, carrying little green plastic bags containing their personal belongings, were guests that had arrived earlier or on Friday night.  The rest, like us, are the newcomers waiting to be checked in. Urashima’s onsens are also opened to non-guests for a fee.

We had booked a Western style room in the Honkan or Main Building, with ensuite bath and toilets, and included a buffet dinner and breakfast. Our rooms faced the bay and the setting sun. This was was good since it allowed us to use solar power to dry our wet socks, shoes and hiking pants after our morning hike to Nachi Taisha in pouring rain.

As usual, the hotel provided yukatas plus small green plastic bag to carry our towels and stuff that we need when going onsen hopping. There were supposed to be 7 onsens within the hotel but the two located on the high grounds of the Sanjokan were closed for renovation.  The remaining 5 that were opened were:

Boki-do  - It features what no other hot spring cannot: breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean from the the pools set inside a large cave. 

Takinoyu –  For man only.Guests soaking in the outdoor bath may be reminded of the nearby Nachi Falls by the murmuring sound of the water running down the natural rock face.

Hamyunoyu – For woman only. Women will enjoy the reinvigorating and beautifying water as they will emerge feeling like a crinum that blossoms in the salty air of a beach.

Genbudo - The Genbudo bath lets guests experience Mother Nature up-close and direct. Similarly to the Bokido bath, it is a hot spring inside a cave.  Guests could listen to the sounds of the waves striking the shore while relaxing in this hot spring. The water also changes color in line with the weather.

Isonoyu - Of the 6 hot spring baths at Hotel Urashima, Isonoyu has many health benefits and is best for therapeutic bathing.

Dressed in yukatas, we went to visit the Boki-do first. After all, where else can we had the opportunity to enjoy a hot bath inside a natural cave, with views of the Pacific Ocean.  Gents and ladies are separated, no mixed sex bathing of course, since Japanese onsen etiquette required all to be naked and properly cleaned before soaking in the pool. Compared to the onsens we had used on this trip, Boki-do was the most crowded. Fortunately, there were a few pools in the men section, with two pools in the huge cavern and a smaller outdoor pool at the mouth of the cave, overlooking the ocean. So, there was plenty of space for everyone.

We arranged to meet back at the room after the spa and I was the first to be back at the room. The west facing room was warm, especially after the onsen.  I went to the lobby to wait and do some people watching. More and more people were arriving by the ferry loads and I was glad we went to do the Boki-do first.

Most guests of the Urashima would be onsen hopping, moving from one onsen to the other. But we had enough onsen for the day. We went to explore the facilities in the large resort instead.

Urashima is ideal for a family getaway or corporate event. Families, including kids, were fishing at the pier and fishing equipment were available for loan.

Hotel Urashima Resort and Spa in Kii-Katsuura

Urashima Hotel in Kii-Katsuura

There was even a large games arcade, shops and areas set aside for those who may fancy a quiet game of chess or enjoy karaoke with friends.

Buffet dinner with over 40 dishes was served in a large hall. Although the hall was full of people, the system was orderly with people politely queuing to pick what they like to eat.

There was a tuna carving show scheduled daily at about 6 PM.

Tuna Carving show where a “small” yellow-fin tuna was cut and sliced into sashimi for the diners.


Using spoons, guests scooped up the flesh next to the bones till the bones were cleaned. Nothing is wasted.



After dinner, we went to check out the Sunrise Terrace located at the Nisshokan Wing, where we hope to see the sunrise in the morning. The Genbudo onsen is also located at this wing. 

We could see the waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the shore. A small lit cave, far away in the rock cliff on my right was actually the Genbudo onsen. 

Using my Canon G5X, I did some long exposure shots of the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean before going back to our room.

Later that night, I went to the Genbudo onsen as planned. It was packed and I was sitting naked, almost shoulder to shoulder with many Japanese men and boys, in an onsen pool right next to the waves of the Pacific. I sat silently, listening to the crashing waves below while looking at the distant lights of boats in the dark sea and ignoring the fellow soakers sitting close by. At times, I could feel the cold spray of the crashing waves on my face as my body remained warm in the hot spring water. Although the Genbudo was more crowded, I somewhat preferred the Genbudo Onsen over the Bukido Onsen. Quite an unique experience.

Note: unfortunately, no photographs allowed in the onsens for obvious reasons. Click on the links to see photos of the onsens from the Urashima website.

We went to the Sunrise Terrace the next morning as planned. A friend once jokingly said to me that it does not make sense to wake up early to see sunrise during vacations as we are seeing the same sun as we would see back home. How wrong he is. Sunrise at the Urashima Hotel is not to be missed on a morning with good weather. It was quite special to to see the changing colours of the dawn sky as red globe emerged from the horizon of the Pacific Ocean. Especially from Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun.

An information board at the hotel lobby had advertised the exact time for sunrise and we got to the Sunrise Terrace at the Nisshokan Wing slightly earlier. We were the only ones there and we had some time to enjoy the ocean views before the sun appeared.

Passing fishing boat as viewed from the terrace of the Urashima Hotel.


Moments before the sun appears at 6.30 AM. The little bit of light in the dark cliff was from the Genbudo onsen.


Zoomed in picture of the Genbudo cave onsen. We could see the heads and white wash cloths of early bathers enjoying a morning bath.


Sun rise over the Pacific Ocean as viewed from the terrace of the Urashima Hotel.


Zoomed in picture of the sun over the ocean.


We had woken early on this beautiful Sunday morning, not just to see the sunrise, but also to visit the Katsuura Fish Market that we missed on Saturday. The earliest ferry from Urashima to the Katsuura Pier was 6.45 AM. We managed to catch this ferry after a brisk walk from the Nisshokan Wing to the Main Building. We were just in time for the tuna auction which started at 7 AM. More about our visit to the Katsuura Fish Market in the next post.

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Visit to the Kii-Katsuura Fish Market


20 November 2016

Katsuura boasts the highest volume of tuna fish hauls in all of Japan and the tuna which were caught in the coastal waters by long line fishing were sold by auctions in this market at 7 AM every day except Saturday and eve of National holidays.

Unlike Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo where the auction takes place much earlier at 5 AM and visitors have to queue even earlier to be the first 120 persons allowed in, the number of visitors to Katsuura is not very high and all visitors were welcomed to view the auction free of charge at the 2nd floor observation deck.

We had woken early on this beautiful Sunday morning, not just to see the sunrise, but also to visit the Katsuura Fish Market that we missed on Saturday. The earliest ferry from Urashima Hotel (our accommodation in Katsuura) to the Katsuura Pier was 6.45 AM. We managed to catch this ferry after a brisk walk from the Nisshokan Wing to the Main Building. The Fish Market is a five to seven minutes walking distance from the ferry pier at Katsuura.

Visitors are allowed to view the tuna up close on the actual floor itself but reservations had to be made in advance and a fee of 1000 yen is payable for a guide to escort the visitors.

This family of three was the only visitors on this day that went on the auction floor for an “up close and personal” tour. That kid was having an educational tour that he would not forget easily.


At 7 AM, there was already hustle and bustle as tuna and other catch were being unloaded from a fishing boat docked at the wharf. Fishing nets (what else could be more appropriate) were hung to fence off the auction area. I managed to take some photos at this level through gaps in the nets before going up to the second floor observation deck.

Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Rows of tuna glistening in the morning light.


The tuna were already unloaded when we arrived. The boats were unloading other catch like sharks and swordfishes.

There were quite a number of visitors, mostly from overseas and independent travellers, not tour groups. The viewing balcony is long and wide enough for everyone.

Here are the photos of the tuna auction from the viewing area:

Overview of the Katsuura fish market from above.



Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

A team of men and their weighing machine went round to weigh and tag the tuna.


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Working with good teamwork and speed, all the tuna were weighed and tagged in no time.


There were many species of tuna seen. The above picture shows the smaller long fin tuna.


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

A section near the tail of this huge tuna is chopped off to expose the flesh for potential buyers to inspect.


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Potential buyers went around inspecting the tuna for quality before submitting the bids. Some yellowfin tuna are seen in the top of the picture with their longer sickle shape anal and second dorsal fins.


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market auction

Bids were submitted into a wooden box.


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market Tuna Auction

Checking and reading the bids and announcing the winner (I guess that’s what he was saying as it was all in Japanese!)


Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Packing the tuna into Styrofoam boxes and labelling them.

 

Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Adding shaved ice into the box to chill the fresh tuna for transportation. 


Besides tuna, there were other fishes unloaded and sold but the tuna were the fish given the priority.

Kii-Katsuura Fish Market

Catch unloaded from boat at Kii-Katsuura Fish Market.


These looked like sharks, even without the heads.


Washing carcasses of marlins and/or swordfishes without their beak.


These fishes looked like collateral damages, left unattended in the corner of the market. They looked small next to tuna but were actually very large fish.


The auction took place rather rapidly and was finished by 7.45 AM. After the visit to the Fish Market, we rode the ferry back to Urashima Hotel for our buffet breakfast.

The plan for the remaining part of the day is to travel by JR train from Kii-Katsuura to Nara where we would staying for a couple of days.


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