--Iwano Tsukasa, the owner of Iwano Suisan, a fresh fish brokerage business that has been passed down from his grandfather in his hometown of Awaji Island, would like to ask him about his passion and feelings for Awaji fish, as well as his popular restaurants, "Sakura no Ki Seafood Chirashi and Fisherman's Nabe Shop" and "Hinomaru Seafood Bowl." First of all, could you tell us your thoughts on fish?

I myself took over the family business from my grandfather.

I have been involved in the job of "selecting fish, purchasing them and selling them" for nearly 30 years.

Among them, from fishermen to consumers,

We all share knowledge about fish and the environment surrounding the fishing industry,

I want to continue to treasure and protect the history of Japanese people and fish.

I began to think that I wanted to leave this to my children.

Especially nowadays,

It is now easy to obtain knowledge through social media, but

There is a lot of inaccurate information.

I start with basic knowledge that even children can understand,

First of all, I want people to know how delicious wild fish is.

That's where we start.

For example, it is said that freshly caught fish is the freshest and tastiest.

That's not necessarily the case.

During fishing, the fish thrash about in the net, slamming into each other,

You will be under tremendous stress.

There's no way that tired fish could taste good.

First of all, it is important to let them settle in the aquarium and return them to their normal state.

Since the growth conditions, such as water temperature, vary depending on the fish species,

You will also need to adjust to that.

It's similar to how the meat of sheep or cattle raised comfortably on a spacious pasture tastes better than that of those confined to small barns.

We welcome you to come to Yura Fishing Port to learn more about this.

By actually seeing, touching and eating the fish in the aquarium,

We want people to gain knowledge about fish and experience its deliciousness.

The fishing industry is no longer in the era of mass production and mass consumption.

Over the past 30 years, the local fish catch has plummeted to one-sixth of what it was before.

At the same time, the town of Yura is also experiencing a decline in population.

In that situation,

Fishermen and consumers alike should think carefully about each and every fish.

Realize how valuable this is,

I think it's important to share the gratitude we have for nature.

We hope that you will be able to feel the "story that can only come from natural products."

--These days, there seems to be a lot of farmed fish and imports from overseas. What do you think about that?

First of all, with the advancement of farmed fish technology, I think it has become very delicious.

There will be no problem at all with eating this.

There are concerns that farmed fish may taste inferior to wild fish.

It has a negative image attached to it.

But if you think about it,

Both agriculture and livestock farming involve human intervention to grow rice and livestock.

In other words, it is called "farming."

This is not a problem,

It's strange that only the fishing industry is favored for wild products.

So, simply because farmed products are poorly rated,

Simply throwing natural products onto the market will not

The fishing industry is only going to dwindle further.

On the other hand, the quality of farmed fish has improved so much that there is no need for wild fish.

I don't want to say that either.

What to eat is something each person should choose based on their own judgment.

Among them, the fish caught in Awaji and Japanese fish are so delicious.

I would like you to understand this.

The same applies to imported fish sold in supermarkets.

I don't know where it was caught or what kind of fish it is.

For example, salted salmon fillets,

There is a joking story that some children mistakenly believe that they are swimming in the ocean in the same fillet form.

In such stores,

It is also becoming difficult to order while having a conversation with the fishmonger.

There are many kinds of fish and they come in many different shapes and forms.

There are now many people who have never even touched a fish.

If possible, such basic knowledge

I want to deliver it in a way that you can really feel it.

If you have knowledge, you may decide to eat as long as you are full.

You may eat it thinking, "It's natural, but I wonder if it's really tasty."

The important thing is to be able to make that choice, rather than just eating mindlessly.

It is important to protect the fishing industry as a business through imports and aquaculture,

Fishermen and customers share accurate knowledge and gratitude for nature,

I think it is really important to protect Japan's traditional fishing practices.

I guess that’s my job.

This also leads us to consider Japan's natural environment as a whole.

--You have a strong passion for fish and the fishing industry. You decided to step outside of your fresh fish brokerage business and start up Sakuranoki Seafood Chirashi and Fisherman's Hotpot Shop and HINOMARU Seafood Bowl. Can you tell us more about them?

First, there is "Sakuranoki, a seafood chirashi and fisherman's hotpot restaurant."

From the owner of a sushi restaurant that sells fish

It all started when someone suggested to me, "Since you deal in such delicious fish, why don't you try opening a chirashi sushi restaurant as an antenna shop for fish?"

From the owner,

We were given instruction on everything from how to prepare the ingredients, the different types of rice, how to cook it, and sushi vinegar.

By arranging such know-how in your own way,

We are currently working on the flavor, but the key to the taste is

Only the shrimp oboro is made by the owner of a sushi restaurant.

The overall flavor is mellow, and I'm confident that it will make you want to eat it again and again.

Also, for spring,

We want young couples with children to feel free to enjoy our dishes.

We are looking at a casual menu.

Chop the ingredients into small pieces,

We are also considering ways to ensure that even women can enjoy the harmony of flavors with just one bite.

We want you to easily enjoy the deliciousness of Awaji fish,

I hope this will help you learn more about fish.

"Kaisendon HINOMARU"

This dish allows you to experience the straightforward deliciousness of Awaji fish.

The rice is not vinegared rice, but warm white rice.

The menu includes:

A seafood bowl where you can eat raw sashimi as is,

There is a dish called Hinomaru Kaisen Zuke Donburi, which is sashimi seasoned and "zuke" (pickled). This is served with an egg yolk in the center.

The food is presented in a way that resembles the Japanese flag.

This is a unique seafood bowl that can only be eaten here.

--If you had to describe the characteristics and differences of the two stores in one word, how would you describe them?

Chirashi sushi is not only delicious,

In addition to that, the chef's work and

It features a complex interplay of different flavours.

We hope you enjoy the "multiplication of flavors," so to speak.

On the other hand, as I mentioned earlier,

It is a straightforward expression of the deliciousness of Awaji fish.

Here, we would like you to enjoy the "addition of flavor" from the ingredients.

This led to a story about fish.

I hope you will be interested.

The multiplication and addition of ingredients born from Awaji's natural environment,

I would love for many people to try both.

(Prices include tax, as of April 2024)