Wajima Morning Market
Wajima Morning Market
3.5
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
352 reviews
Excellent
49
Very good
155
Average
118
Poor
21
Terrible
9
AlfredENeumann
Brussels42 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
Nice clean market in a small harbour city. Better to visit the lacquerware producers and the museum. Careful, in this village you can starve if you miss the lunch hour at 2 pm.
Written November 30, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tomshiff
YVR297 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
I like markets that cater to locals, and it believe this one does. Mostly fish, dried, fresh, packaged, laquerware, which ranges from cheap to very expensive, many packaged food products, and a variety of all kinds of other goods. Lots of sampling, and everyone was friendly.
Written May 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kobekko
Kobe91 contributions
Apr 2012 • Couples
This place is very interesting for people who are willing to reflect on the changing societal fabric and life-style in Japan, but not for tourists with shopping in mind. Lacquer wares and semi-dried fish have long been the mainstay of the goods traded in this market. However, they are no longer the mainstay of contemporary living scenery in Japan. That being said, the market had a good “raison-de-être” in the past. Today, the market functions more as a tourist attraction than an essential facility for the area’s livelihood.
Wajima has been the principal township in the northern part of Noto Peninsular, which has a very limited arable land but surrounded by the sea with abundant marine life. The “thousand”terraced rice paddies of Shirayone, another tourist spot a short distance away from the market, is a very scenic reminder of this scarcity of arable land. Dried or semi-dried fish is also the product of its distinctive geography. The time required to bring the fish caught in the nearby sea to inland markets has made such processing necessary. Also, such processing is said to enhance the taste of fish, when lightly grilled just before eating. In other words, not every fish caught in Japan is eaten raw as sashimi
The scarcity of arable land also led people to develop other means for livelihood, and lacquer work and paper making are two such means that have highly developed in the area. They use the wild plants that grow in the wild as material, and long and snow-covered winter has provided ample time for laborious work to manufacture sophisticated products. However, such labor-intensive nature of production simply priced out the genuine products from the ordinary people or life in Japan today. The majority of the products sold in this morning market are only fit for touristy souvenirs.
The local government is nonetheless serious about the preservation of this traditional market for tourism. The market and its adjacent area have been renovated and made into an attractive tourist zone. Railway access is possible and ample car parking space is provided. However, such development is not demand-driven, but policy-driven. In other words, tourism offers the only prospect for the area’s viability, just as so many local governments in the peripheral regions have done to various degrees of success. For such tourism development, the distance from major urban centers remains the major obstacle. In my humble opinion, it would be better to have a long-term plan and strategy for developing the region with holiday resorts, as it is endowed with beautiful coastal sceneries and beaches, as well as hospitable people and culture.
Wajima has been the principal township in the northern part of Noto Peninsular, which has a very limited arable land but surrounded by the sea with abundant marine life. The “thousand”terraced rice paddies of Shirayone, another tourist spot a short distance away from the market, is a very scenic reminder of this scarcity of arable land. Dried or semi-dried fish is also the product of its distinctive geography. The time required to bring the fish caught in the nearby sea to inland markets has made such processing necessary. Also, such processing is said to enhance the taste of fish, when lightly grilled just before eating. In other words, not every fish caught in Japan is eaten raw as sashimi
The scarcity of arable land also led people to develop other means for livelihood, and lacquer work and paper making are two such means that have highly developed in the area. They use the wild plants that grow in the wild as material, and long and snow-covered winter has provided ample time for laborious work to manufacture sophisticated products. However, such labor-intensive nature of production simply priced out the genuine products from the ordinary people or life in Japan today. The majority of the products sold in this morning market are only fit for touristy souvenirs.
The local government is nonetheless serious about the preservation of this traditional market for tourism. The market and its adjacent area have been renovated and made into an attractive tourist zone. Railway access is possible and ample car parking space is provided. However, such development is not demand-driven, but policy-driven. In other words, tourism offers the only prospect for the area’s viability, just as so many local governments in the peripheral regions have done to various degrees of success. For such tourism development, the distance from major urban centers remains the major obstacle. In my humble opinion, it would be better to have a long-term plan and strategy for developing the region with holiday resorts, as it is endowed with beautiful coastal sceneries and beaches, as well as hospitable people and culture.
Written May 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sci77
Tokyo, Japan172 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
the shopkeepers tend to be pushy (not something that is common in Japan); didn’t like the atmosphere. A lot of the urushi goods are not authentic Wajima-made but imported from China.
Written May 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Justine W
Singapore, Singapore235 contributions
May 2017 • Couples
A medium size market where you can buy fresh, marinated or dry seafood, lacquer, souvenir etc. People are very friendly. There's a small hut where you can buy fresh seafood and bbq using charcoal there for free. It was really fun and love it.
Try the dried cutterfish and scallops. It's really good. We bought some seaweed paste and other ingredients home too.
Price are definitely cheaper than other area.
Try the dried cutterfish and scallops. It's really good. We bought some seaweed paste and other ingredients home too.
Price are definitely cheaper than other area.
Written June 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew1234
Doylestown, PA574 contributions
Jun 2016 • Couples
The asaichi (morning market) on the streets of Wajima Onsen was one of the best of the dozens I had visited in my recent three-year stay in Japan. It is a must-see spot.
It features lots of locally-caught fish: fresh and dried, salt and fresh water. For those who want to try fugu (blow fish), here's a place to do so. There was a variety of vegetables, pickles, and fruits, as well. Too bad we didn’t have access to a kitchen to prepare some of this bounty. Even so, the market was still plenty fun to browse as a window-shopper.
One completely non-perishable item tourists can take home is lacquerware, for which the region is famous. Fortunately, chopsticks don’t take up much room or weight in your suitcase!
I urge visitors to Kanazawa to work in one or two extra days/nights to visit the asaichi and other notable sights of Wajima Onsen and Noto Peninsula. Travel by train or rental car is easy.
It features lots of locally-caught fish: fresh and dried, salt and fresh water. For those who want to try fugu (blow fish), here's a place to do so. There was a variety of vegetables, pickles, and fruits, as well. Too bad we didn’t have access to a kitchen to prepare some of this bounty. Even so, the market was still plenty fun to browse as a window-shopper.
One completely non-perishable item tourists can take home is lacquerware, for which the region is famous. Fortunately, chopsticks don’t take up much room or weight in your suitcase!
I urge visitors to Kanazawa to work in one or two extra days/nights to visit the asaichi and other notable sights of Wajima Onsen and Noto Peninsula. Travel by train or rental car is easy.
Written June 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jomihl
Los Angeles, CA34 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
Wajima is famous for lacquerware and the Wajima Morning Market is filled with numerous lacquer merchants, seafood specialists and a few fruit and vegetable stands. So who would expect there to be a new upscale coffee house/boutique in the midst of this fairly traditional market? Kalpa has arrived and was a real surprise. Excellent cappuccinos, hand-drip coffee, croissants and scones in various shapes with thick whipped cream and light strawberry preserves in a tastefully designed modern building...it may not yet put Intelligentsia to shame, but it is pretty trendy for a fishing village. OK it looks like Wajima is fast becoming a tourist destination too, since the coast here is so beautiful. But it seems to be maintaining its character despite the incursion of a few new businesses. In all this, Kalpa is worth a visit, if you like coffee.
Written October 9, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather D
Takasaki, Japan15 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
If you've never been to an outdoor market before, you might find it interesting. However, we found the market to be small and to be honestly, a little bit of a tourist trap. Better to go to Omicho Market in Kanazawa.
Written August 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VivianTai
Singapore, Singapore77 contributions
May 2019 • Family
There is a convenient parking spot next to the market. We went early around 9am and there were many female vendors cleaning the fishes they were selling. It was very clean despite it is a fresh fish market. There are lots of dried seafood that that you can buy including conch meat, squids and fishes. There was lady selling her own handmade lacquer jewelry and old ladies selling mini souvenir sandals. The walk can be finished quite quickly as we were early and most shops were not open.
Written June 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
konstanza_sf
Hong Kong, China156 contributions
Aug 2016 • Friends
This is a very busy morning market which you can see a lot of local food and artwork. Be here early in the morning for the freshest food of the season and also take time to walk into the shops to find the best lacquerware souvenir for yourself and your loved ones.
Written October 14, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
資源保護のため、11-12月の限られた時期にしか漁獲できないので、時季を外すと冷凍ものや輸入物しか手に入りません。
先日(7月)、東京上野の吉池でロシア産活セイコ蟹(香箱ガニ)を売っているのを見かけましたが、身は痩せていて、外子は皆無、内子もおそらくはだめだったでしょう。
旬のセイコ蟹(香箱ガニ)は、石川県内なら金沢の居酒屋や和食店で楽しめるはずです。
加賀温泉郷なら、近隣の飲食店がコラボした店ごとに違うメニューが楽しめます。能登丼と同様のコンセプトですね。
個人的な一押しは加賀橋立漁港周辺の海鮮料理点です。
Written August 24, 2019
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