Shizuoka's food cultureKnow

Lake Hamana stretches across the cities of Hamamatsu and Kosai in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture. It is the 10th largest lake in Japan and boasts the longest circumference of any brackish lake in the country. Due to its unique environment, it has been blessed with abundant marine resources. This time, we visited people involved in the fishing industry in Lake Hamana and asked them about its appeal.

*Brackish lake: a lake where fresh water and sea water mix together

"1169 likes! Ebi-sen!"

At 7am, the voices of auctioneers echo through Lake Hamana Yuto Market. Freshly caught seafood is lined up in baskets and auctioned off in order. On this day, the fish caught were sea bass, flounder, tiger shrimp,There are many types of fish, including blue crabs. Brokers write their desired price on a piece of paper marked with their shop name* and hand it to the auctioneer, who then reads out the shop name and price of the highest bidder, and the item is sold.

* Store name: the name or signboard used when doing business

Konoshiro is a fish that changes its name as it grows, from shinko to gizzard shad to konoshiro. It is a fish that is often used as a sushi topping.

As you grow up1Suzuki, which is over a meter long, is a popular fish among anglers and is called sea bass.

Lake Hamana is also a suitable habitat for shrimp, and many different kinds of shrimp can be caught here, including kuruma prawns, yoshiebi shrimp, and tiger shrimp.

"Lake Hamana has about600It is said that many kinds of fish and shellfish live here. This abundance is due to the brackish lake environment, where nutrient-rich freshwater flowing from the Miyakoda River, sandwiched between the Akashi Mountains and the Kiso Mountains, mixes with seawater flowing in from the Enshu Sea," says a man living near Lake Hamana.100Kamo Senichiro is the representative of Ebisen Co., Ltd., which has been in the seafood wholesale business for over 20 years.

Lake Hamana has an average depth of5It is characterized by its shallow depth of only 100 meters. Taking advantage of this environment, fixed net fishing, known as "Kadotateami," is actively practiced, in which nets are hung on stakes erected on the lake surface to catch fish. Oyster and seaweed farming has also been practiced here for a long time.

Lake Hamana also has a traditional fishing method called "takiya fishing." This involves setting boats out on the lake at night, shining a light into the water and catching shrimp, crabs and fish on the bottom of the lake by spearing them with a harpoon or scooping them up with a net. This fishing method is unique to Lake Hamana, where the water is shallow and you can see all the way to the bottom. Tours are held in the summer, and you can actually experience "takiya fishing."

"When talking about Lake Hamana, one thing that should not be forgotten is eel farming. Lake Hamana is the birthplace of eel farming in Japan, and its history dates back to the Meiji period.20"It dates back to the 19th century. Glass eels, or baby eels, are born in the Pacific Ocean and swim upstream in rivers. To farm them, they are harvested and raised to large sizes, and Lake Hamana is a brackish water lake that attracts many glass eels. In the past, silkworm pupae, which had already removed the thread from their cocoons, were used to feed the glass eels, and since sericulture was thriving around Lake Hamana, food was easy to obtain. Thanks to these benefits, eel farming is still thriving around Lake Hamana today," he says.

Ebisen has a direct sales store at its headquarters, selling kabayaki and shirayaki eels from Lake Hamana that it processes itself. I tried eating the kabayaki eel on rice, and it was fatty and tender, and absolutely delicious.

"Seafood from Lake Hamana is really delicious. Brackish lakes produce a lot of plankton, which the seafood eats in large quantities, giving it a rich, sweet and savory flavor. We want many people to enjoy dishes made with seafood from Lake Hamana, and for the restaurants we wholesale to to thrive. Our ideal is to make everyone happy in this way," says Kamo.

Currently, we offer "natural conger eel from Enshu Nada from spring to early summer", "eel from Lake Hamana in summer", "natural tiger pufferfish from Enshu Nada from fall to winter", and "oysters from Lake Hamana in winter".(Oyster)"In order to provide consumers with attractive seafood from the Enshu Nada Sea and Lake Hamana all year round, we sell it to local accommodation facilities and restaurants through the local Kanzanji Hot Springs Business Cooperative Association.

Please enjoy it at the accommodations and restaurants around Lake Hamana.