Nanki-Shirahama: A Seafood Lover’s Sacred Pilgrimage

#seafoodlover In Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, where the Kumano Kodo meets the Pacific, **Nanki-Shirahama** isn’t just a beach town—it’s a **briny altar to seafood perfection**. Here, morning catches land on grills before noon, and every meal feels like a communion with the Kuroshio Current’s bounty. --- ### **Why Shirahama’s Seafood Dazzles** 🐟 **Market to Mouth in Minutes** - **Shirahama Fish Market (Toretore)**: Auction-grade **tuna belly** sliced for sashimi at 9AM, **spiny lobster** (Ise ebi) still twitching on ice. - **Kamayama Morning Market**: Grandmas sell just-dug **awabi (abalone)** with homemade sudachi citrus sauce. 🔥 **Open-Air Devotion** - **Susami’s “Dancing Squid”**: At **Marine Kitchen**, your donburi comes with a **fresh squid that “dances” under soy sauce** (nerve reflexes!). - **Kushimoto’s Ise-ebi Grill**: Whole lobster charred over binchotan coal at **Shirasuna**, served with ocean views. 🍣 **Sacred Techniques** - **Mehari-zushi**: Wakayama’s giant fermented mackerel sushi, wrapped in pickled mustard leaves (**Haginochaya**’s 200-year-old recipe). - **Kue (longtooth grouper) nabe**: Milky-hotpot at **Yukawa**, where the collagen-rich broth promises eternal youth. --- ### **Seaside Rituals** - **Senjojiki Rock Plateau**: Collect turban shells at low tide, then grill them beachside. - **Shirahama Onsen**: Soak in **sodium-rich waters** (said to mimic seawater) after a seafood feast. **Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)** "Where every scale, shell, and tentacle is treated with the reverence of a samurai’s sword." *Secret Move: Order **“sashimi moriawase”** at tiny **Marutomi Shoten**—the chef selects that morning’s 10 best catches.* 🐡🔪 --- *"In Shirahama, the ocean isn’t just outside—it’s on the plate, in the air, and in your dreams after too much sake."* *(Note: Avoid Sept typhoons. For luxury, stay at **Shirahama Key Terrace Hotel**’s ocean-view onsens.)* 🏖️🍶