Autumn of appetite.
In Hokkaido, a variety of ingredients are harvested, and gourmet events are frequently held throughout the region.
Amidst all this, one product known only to those in the know is the shishamo fish from Mukawa Town, which attracts long lines of people on the day the fishing season opens.

This time, I traveled all the way from Sapporo to Mukawa Town in search of the highly acclaimed shishamo fish, and also to try the rare "shishamo sushi," which can only be found there during this time of year, right after the fishing season opens.

table of contents
1. About Mukawa Town
2. What you usually eat isn't shishamo!? Shishamo and capelin
3. Fishing season has finally opened! I went to eat shishamo (smelt) right after the season opened!
3-1. A breathtaking shishamo curtain, unlike anything you'll see anywhere else.
3-2. Shishamo sushi, which can only be eaten here during this season.
Finally

Mukawa Town is located in the southern part of central Hokkaido, along the Pacific coast, and has a population of approximately 8700 people.
It was formerly written as "鵡川," but in 2006, it merged with the former Hobetsu town, and the new town name "む川町" (Mukawa-cho), written in hiragana, was created.

It is also the hometown of Professor Emeritus Akira Suzuki of Hokkaido University, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.

And these days, it's a town that's really into dinosaurs.
In 2003, the town became famous as a dinosaur town after a bone fossil discovered there was later identified as a dinosaur's tail.

The Hobetsu Museum in Mukawa Town has a large collection of dinosaur fossils on display, allowing visitors to learn about the cutting edge of dinosaur research.
In addition to shishamo fish, Hobetsu melons and Mukawa Wagyu beef are also famous in the area.

Shishamo is commonly sold in supermarkets and other stores, and many people may like it as an inexpensive and delicious fish.
However, the shocking truth is that what we usually eat isn't actually shishamo...

What's usually sold in supermarkets is "capelin," commonly known as Sakhalin smelt.

Shishamo and capelin look and feel similar, but you'll be surprised by the difference when you eat real shishamo.
Shishamo is a species endemic to southern Hokkaido, found only on the Pacific coast.

Even in this wide world, genuine shishamo is an extremely rare fish, found only in those specific regions.
Apparently, over 9% of what's sold in the market as "shishamo with roe" is actually capelin. Oh, what a shock...

Furthermore, the shishamo fish was designated as the town fish of Mukawa in July 1995.
Mukawa Town is truly a town of shishamo fish.

The shishamo fishing season in Mukawa Town finally opened on October 1st, so I went to eat some shishamo right after it opened (the opening date of the fishing season varies from year to year).

It's about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Sapporo. From New Chitose Airport, it's about 40 minutes.
As for transportation options, JR trains and express buses depart from Sapporo, New Chitose Airport, and Tomakomai.

The shop I visited this time was Kanedai Ohno Shoten.
Since its founding in 12, the company has exclusively handled and sold shishamo (capelin) products sourced from Hokkaido.

3-1. A breathtaking shishamo curtain, unlike anything you'll see anywhere else.

This breathtaking sight, visible only in this location during the peak season after the fishing season opens, is the shishamo curtain.

You can purchase semi-dried shishamo (smelt) to take away, but there are also hot plates available in the shop where you can grill and eat them yourself.

There are clear instructions, and the staff are very helpful, so even first-timers can enjoy it with peace of mind.

After it starts to bake for a while, a delicious aroma and sound fill the air.

If you flip it over too many times, the flesh will fall apart, so don't flip it too much and wait patiently.
Now, let's actually eat the grilled smelt.

It's nice and fatty, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

The taste differs completely between males and females. Since preferences vary greatly, it might be a good idea to ask the store staff for their opinions before purchasing.

Since males don't lay eggs, their flesh is naturally rich in fat.
On the other hand, the female's eggs have an irresistible texture...the flesh is chewy and has a plump, rich flavor.

As is quite obvious from this writing style, the author's preference is for females.
Furthermore, you can choose the size for both males and females.

You could try grilling and eating one, and then decide, "Next time I want to try a bigger one," and go back to buy another one—that might be another way to enjoy them.

3-2. Shishamo sushi, which can only be eaten here during this season.

If you visit Mukawa Town during the shishamo fishing season, there's one dish you absolutely must try: shishamo sushi.

Have you ever seen shishamo sushi or shishamo sashimi at a sushi restaurant?
I think many people haven't seen it very often.

This is because fresh shishamo spoils very quickly, making it unsuitable for distribution and therefore not widely available.
Even in Mukawa Town, it's not something you can eat anytime; it's only available during the fishing season from October to November.

During this extremely limited period, many people come from all over Hokkaido and across Japan to purchase this shishamo sushi, which is only available in this region.
The shishamo used for sashimi and this shishamo sushi is the male. It has a light flavor and a refined sweetness.

You can enjoy the shishamo (smelt) even more by dipping it in soy sauce or sansho pepper, which further enhances its sweetness.

There are many dishes that use shishamo fish besides sushi.
However, some items may be sold out depending on the time of day.

If there's a specific item you absolutely want to eat, try to go as early as possible.

Finally

How did you like the shishamo from Mukawa Town?

Some of you may be shocked to learn that what you usually eat as shishamo isn't actually shishamo, but once you taste real shishamo, you might never want to eat what you've been eating before again.

Kanedai Ohno Shoten, a specialty shop for shishamo (smelt)
Address: 2-42 Miyuki, Mukawa-cho, Yufutsu-gun, Hokkaido
Tel: 0145-42-2468
Fax: 0145-42-4013
HP:http://kanedaioono.com/index.htmlOpening hours: 9 hours to 17 hours
Closed on Sundays from January to the end of April.

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