Kanazawa Omicho Market Travel Guide

At the end of the main road leading from Kanazawa Station, Omicho Ichiba is Kanazawa’s largest market with approximately 170 stalls specializing in fresh seafood and local produce. Established in 1721 and fondly referred to as “Kanazawa’s Kitchen,” this colorful undercover market has everything from local food to flowers and clothing, kitchenwares, sake, and condiments you’ve never heard of. Edible seaweeds such as sweet local wakame and stringy mozuku are local delicacies loaded with health benefits, while mouthwatering crabs, shrimps, and yellowtail amberjack are brought directly from the harbor, incredibly fresh. Some stalls serve samples and small snacks to enjoy while wandering, but Omicho Market also features a restaurant section on the second floor. However, the best kaisendon (raw seafood bowls) are served on the busy first floor, best with a side of ara-jiru (miso soup with fish heads). Offering high-quality sushi and sashimi at bargain prices, the local specialty fish of nodoguro (a.k.a. “black throat seaperch”) is especially delicious. Chaotic yet charming, the atmosphere, food quality, and prices at Omicho Market are unmatched in Kanazawa.