Kushiro, Hokkaido, boasts one of the highest fish catches in Japan. Seasonal seafood is landed there throughout the year.

In the summer of 2018, a new tourist spot specializing in fish, "Sennosuke Main Store," was born in the port town of Kushiro!

It's a huge complex that includes not only a sales area, but also a restaurant where you can enjoy fresh fish, an aquarium, and more.

Let's get started with the introductions.

<Table of Contents>
1. What is Kushinosuke Honten?
2. A giant cylindrical aquarium in the entrance atrium.
3. Kushinosuke Sales Corner
4. Kushinosuke Sushi Corner
5. Seafood BBQ Tairyomaru
6. Kushiro Port Town, Kushichan Restaurant
7. Kushiro's first aquarium! Kushiro Aquarium Pukupuku
8. Kushiro Fried Tempura Corner
9. Access to Kushinosuke Main Store
Final thoughts

1. What is Kushinosuke Honten?

Kushinosuke is a directly managed store of Marusa Sasaya Shoten Co., Ltd., which is headquartered in Otanoshike, Kushiro City.

Marusa Sasaya Shoten is one of Hokkaido's largest seafood processing companies, founded in 50. The name Kushinosuke comes from the Alaska pollock used in their fried tempura.

The store opened in November 2012 at Kyoei-dori in Kushiro City, followed by the Otobe store in Hiyama District in 2015, and finally the main store in Kowa, Kushiro Town in July 2018.

Kushiro, a city known for its fishing industry, had never had an aquarium before, and with the desire to let people interact with fish, Kushinosuke Honten was born.

Apparently, they received a lot of positive feedback from local customers even before the store opened.

The exterior features beautifully curved glass panels, designed to evoke the image of whales and ocean waves.

The parking lot has a capacity of approximately 200 cars, including both multi-story and ground-level parking spaces.
(The multi-story parking garage is on the right side when viewed from the front of the building.)

© Fish specialty shop Kushinosuke

The reason Kushinosuke is so delicious is because it's a restaurant directly operated by a fisheries company!

Every morning, we carefully select fresh fish caught off the coast of Kushiro and process them immediately at our own factory. We are committed to freshness, seasoning, hygiene management, and freezing speed.

2. A giant cylindrical aquarium in the entrance atrium.

Upon entering Kushinosuke Main Store, you are greeted by a giant cylindrical aquarium.

In 90 tons of seawater, about 10 species of fish from the waters around Okinawa, including rays and Napoleonfish, swim around leisurely and comfortably.

The LED light on the back of the tank illuminates the fish with seven different colors, allowing you to observe them from various angles.

I climbed the stairs and took the photo from the second floor.This large aquarium is so impressive that you'll lose track of time just staring at it!

3. Kushinosuke Sales Corner

The sales area on the first floor is a super-large section with a wide variety of products, including processed foods, fresh fish, dried fish, sashimi, and fish roe such as salmon roe and cod roe, all under the Sasaya Shoten brand.

A collection of popular items loved by fish lovers and locals alike!

The best-selling item is Sensaba, a brand of mackerel from Kushiro.This exquisite overnight-dried mackerel is made by wrapping the fish in a sheet combining materials with different osmotic pressures and slowly aging it at a low temperature. The perfect balance of saltiness and fat content makes this a truly exceptional product.

Next up, we'd like to introduce another popular product: Ika Shiokara (salted squid) from Kushiro Port.It's known for being low in salt and having delicious ingredients and seasoning. You can really enjoy the texture of the squid.

Next up, fresh fish.I visited the shop in July. Apparently, fresh fish such as raw squid, sculpin, raw silver salmon, and rockfish are selling well at this time of year. Pacific saury is expected to arrive soon.

The rows and rows of fresh seafood are a spectacular sight!

For those who can't prepare fish themselves, there's a service where a fish expert will prepare it for you. They can fillet the fish into three pieces, prepare it as sashimi, or do other preparations according to your request.

We also have a dedicated shipping service for orders shipped to other regions. You can easily send gifts and other items, so please rest assured.

And to coincide with the opening of the Kushinosuke main store, they released canned mackerel and sardines with a good amount of fat.

Merchandise featuring Kushinosuke's mascot character, Kushi-chan, is an original product only available at the main store!They sell items such as T-shirts, clear files, and ballpoint pens.

Don't forget to pick up some cute aquarium-themed souvenirs!

The sales area is open from 9:00 AM to 21:00 PM. You can enjoy a leisurely shopping experience in our spacious store.

4. Kushinosuke Sushi Corner

At the sushi corner, enjoy sushi made by skilled sushi chefs.
The counter has 10 seats and is located at the back of the sales area.

They carefully prepare fresh sushi right in front of you, using ingredients like bluefin tuna, squid, salmon, and shrimp.

You can choose from 6 pieces of sushi (700 yen), 8 pieces of sushi (1,000 yen), or 10 pieces of sushi (1,400 yen).
* All prices do not include tax

5. Seafood BBQ Tairyomaru

Kaisen BBQ Tairyomaru is a BBQ corner where you can enjoy delicious seafood from Hokkaido, including the company's own dried fish sold at Kushinosuke.

Popular fish dishes include Kushiro mackerel, Atka mackerel, and spotted grunt.In addition to fish, they also offer meats such as Akan pork and Kamikomi pork, as well as yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and vegetables.

Since it's grilled right there and ready to eat, the taste is exceptional.

6. Kushiro Port Town, Kushichan Restaurant

Kushiro Port Town Kushichan Shokudo boasts a diverse menu, featuring hearty seafood bowls made exclusively with fresh fish and shellfish. You can also enjoy curry, Western food, and Chinese cuisine.

The author ordered their signature dish, the seafood rice bowl.

This is a seafood rice bowl with warm rice, not vinegared rice. The toppings include tuna, flounder, salmon roe, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, and salmon. You can fully enjoy the bounty of the sea.

Our special seafood rice bowl, topped with 10 kinds of fresh ingredients, is a popular choice, as are our sashimi set meals and grilled mackerel set meals.

7. Kushiro's first aquarium! Kushiro Aquarium Pukupuku

Pukupuku is the first aquarium in Kushiro.

This site introduces adorable fish and amphibians from northern regions, such as the balloonfish and the northern salamander, as well as garden eels from the waters off Okinawa.[Southern Fish Zone]

A garden eel pops its head out from the sand.

This gourd-shaped aquarium is quite unusual.

It can be observed from various angles in 360 degrees.[Jellyfish Zone]

I find it very soothing to watch jellyfish gracefully dancing in the water.[Sardine school zone]

The balloonfish, with its colorful, round body in shades of orange and yellow, is an adorable fish.

It's the mascot character of the aquarium.The balloonfish has a suction cup on its belly. It clings to its prey and stays still...

The touch pool area, where children can touch and play with marine life such as hermit crabs and sea urchins, is popular with kids.

There are a total of 21 tanks. It's an aquarium full of fun.

8. Kushiro Fried Tempura Corner

Lastly, let me introduce you to the Kushiro Fried Tempura Corner, located to the right as you enter the entrance.

Made in our own factory using minced Alaska pollock. We sell them freshly fried.Our freshly made, chewy and springy fried tempura is available for takeout.

At the Kushiro Fried Tempura Corner, they also sell soft-serve ice cream made by Kushinosuke.
It's great that you can order from outside the store!

9. Access to Kushinosuke Main Store

Access
By car: Approximately 15 minutes by car from JR Kushiro Station.
Bus: Take Kushiro Bus No. 101 from the JR Kushiro Station Bus Terminal.
⇒ Get off at the Aeon Kushiro store bus stop and walk for about 3 minutes.

[Kushinosuke Main Store] HP:http://www.sennosuke.net Address: 4-11 Kowa, Kushiro-cho, Kushiro-gun, Hokkaido Hours: 9: 00 ~ 22: 00 Closed: New Year's holiday TEL: 0154-64-5000 Parking: 200 spaces (50 in front of the store, 150 in the second multi-story parking garage)

Final thoughts

Upon entering the store, you're immediately struck by the giant cylindrical aquarium, the first aquarium in Kushiro, and the photo panel on the second floor.

Kushinosuke Honten is full of fun surprises and playful touches that you can feel throughout the restaurant.
You can enjoy everything from shopping and dining to fish watching all in one place.

Why not visit the newly opened fish wonderland in Kushiro?

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