Fukushima After March 11, 2011: Learn About Hamadori Cuisine
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Fukushima's Hamadori area—known for its excellent cuisine—suffered tsunami damage after the great earthquake in March 2011. However, the region is gradually coming back to life. We introduce seafood dining spots and a museum that traces Fukushima's road to recovery.
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Tokyo, Japan
Hamadori, an Ideal Place to Enjoy Exquisite Fukushima Cuisine
Fukushima Prefecture, located in Japan's Tohoku Region, has beautiful and abundant natural surroundings.
The Hamadori area is known for its delicious cusine. This region occupies the eastern part of the prefecture and is made up of towns that lie along the Pacific Ocean, including Iwaki City and Soma City. It's famous for its fresh seafood and Japanese sake.
On March 11, 2011, Hamadori suffered major damage from a tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Today, however, life is gradually coming back to normal.
In this article, we'll introduce recommended dining places in Hamadori and a museum where visitors can learn about the recovery efforts and projects implemented in Fukushima.
3 Excellent Locations for Tasting Local Cuisine in Hamadori
The following facilities that offer exquisite local cuisine in Hamadori are must-visit locations in area.
Hamanoeki Matsukawaura, a Symbol of Fukushima's Recovery Efforts
There are several fishing ports in the Hamadori Region including Matsukawaura Fishing Port, Manogawa Fishing Port, and the Ukedo Fishing Port. Every day many varieties of fish are unloaded here.
If it's delicious fish that you're after, you need to visit Hamanoeki Matsukawaura. This fish market is only 100 meters from the Matsukawaura Fishing Port. Seashore Kitchen Quasetto (Food Court) is popular for its fresh seafood dishes.
Their specialty is the Fresh Flatfish 3 Variety Set (1,800 yen after tax). There's a limit of just five sets per day, so we recommend visiting the shop right after it opens!
The video below introduces the highlights and development of Hamanoeki Matsukawaura.
Hamanoeki Matsukawaura (from Rediscovering Fukushima's Traditions and Features)
Yoake Ichiba, a Revitalization Effort by Local Business Owners
If you'd like to sample local cuisine at restaurants that are frequented by nearby residents, we recommend Yoake Ichiba (Sunrise Market).
When the disaster forced many businesses to close, local shop owners put their heads together and decided to open up several shops along this backstreet.
It's lined with more than 10 shops. They include an Italian restaurant, a shop serving local Fukushima dishes, and even an izakaya. The area's retro atmosphere makes it a great spot for taking photos as well!
Shike Brewery (Shike Shuzoten)
Fukushima Prefecture is known for its production of Japanese sake—a drink that never fails to generate a buzz among connoisseurs.
At Shike Brewery they produce Matabe sake. This rare sake is hardly ever found in other parts of Japan and is almost entirely consumed in the Iwaki City area.
Matabe sake is a famous sake that has won the first prize award at Japan's Excellent New Brew of Sake Awards Ceremony no less than 15 times.
When visiting Iwaki City be sure to pay a visit to Shike Brewery.
The article below introduces Hamadori's dining facilities in detail so please take a look.
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Terroage Fukushima: Gourmet Food Paired With Sake!
Terroage Fukushima is an ongoing project with a mission to promote Fukushima cuisine.
Terroage is a coined word that combines two French words, terroir and mariage. Terroir refers to the climate and natural features of a region where grapes are grown, and mariage means the pairing of food with beverages, in this case, sake.
So terroage refers to creative cuisine using Fukushima ingredients that's been paired with Fukushima sake. Iwaki City's Hagi French Restaurant is the ideal place to enjoy terroage.
Hagi French Restaurant: Creative French Cuisine Pairs Up With Sake
Picture courtesy of Terroage Fukushima
Chef Hagi—who has established a relationship of trust with local growers—displays his culinary skills at Hagi French Restaurant. His creative cuisine integrates Fukushima ingredients while retaining the essence of French food, resulting in superb dishes.
So together with Fukushima wine or sake you can enjoy some exquisite time here.
The article below features Terroage Fukushima in more detail, so please have a look.
Hamakara LLC: Order Gourmet Food Online
Picture courtesy of Hamakara LLC
During the Covid-19 pandemic, online orders for food increased dramatically. Hamakara LLC (Limited Liability Company) was flooded with online orders from all corners of Japan.
In 2011, many factories and fishing ports in Iwaki City's Hisanohama area were swept away by a tsunami. It was then that representative Takahisa Abe—with hopes of revitalizing the local area—decided to start his company, Hamakara LLC.
Since then they've operated a fresh fish retail shop and have also developed a line of products made with fish and seafood.
Picture courtesy of Hamakara LLC
During that time, the Hand-Grilled Conger Eel Kabayaki—meaty conger eel with a salty-sweet flavor—became a big hit. "This makes a luxurious eel donburi!" and "It takes no time to prepare this," were some of the comments from an endless line of satisfied repeat customers.
You can place an online order from anywhere in Japan. But it's also a great idea to buy a souvenir directly at Hamakara's shop.
To place an online order at Hamakara please click here (Japanese).
Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum
Picture courtesy of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum
Many lives were lost during the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent disasters.
In Fukushima's Hamadori area, countless traditional Japanese homes, farms, and harbors were destroyed by the tsunami. In addition, many people were forced to flee their homes to escape from the tsunami and the nuclear power plant disaster.
Picture courtesy of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum
The Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum is located in the Hamadori town of Futaba. Here visitors can experience the terrible events of this unprecedented triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear power plant accident).
Fukushima's documented records and memories show the path that it took on its way to recovery. The displays serve as a valuable lesson for disaster prevention and mitigation, and also help in connecting Fukushima to the future.
In addition to actual items and documents, there are also videos featuring the firsthand accounts of eyewitnesses.
Considerable thought and creativity went into the making of these exhibits. Visitors can watch what happened during the disaster as if they were actually there themselves.
Following the disaster, how did the calm and peaceful days of everyday life change?
In Zone Three of the museum there are testimonies from residents who were forced to pick up and leave their hometowns, as well as their keepsakes and other memorabilia.
The thoughts, feelings, and sentiments of Fukushima Prefecture residents are conveyed here through the power of these exhibits.
Enjoy Hamadori Cuisine
The Hamadori area offers a wide variety of exquisite food including marine products. Please visit this region and try sampling the delicious cuisine while taking in the wonderful atmosphere of the local port towns.
You can also enjoy some unexpected encounters with the warmth and kindness of the nearby residents.
In addition to what was featured in today's article, there are still plenty of gourmet spots and other attractions in Fukushima.
For more on Fukushima please have a look at the video and articles down below.
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