Photo by Roger Smith

Photo by Brian Takahashi

Photo by Koei Suisan

  • On the edge of the Isozaki Harbor in Matsushima sits a small family-run seafood store called Koei Suisan. It is owned and operated by Matsushima local Yukinobu Takahashi. Every year during oyster season (mid-October to mid-March), Yukinobu and his staff take their boat out in the frigid early mornings to check the oyster lines and harvest. They catch and harvest the other seafood they sell at the shop as wellcrabs, eels, mussels, seaweed, and more.

    On any given day during the season, you can watch them separate oysters. You can get yakigaki (grilled oysters), or bags of fresh oysters in various sizes. If you get yakigaki, they will cook them for you personally and will make sure the oysters are cooked thoroughly. If you ask Yukinobu though, he will tell you they are best eaten raw. You can eat some at the store during their food service hours on weekends. If you are visiting from elsewhere in Japan, you can use the courier service to ship a box directly to your house.

    Local Voice

    Koei Suisan is where my family and I buy our oysters. Head there in morning (around 9 a.m.) to score some from the day’s first batch of oysters. Don’t be afraid to ask if the oysters should be cooked or not. The prefecture continuously monitors oysters for food safety, and at times they recommend eating the oysters cooked (kanetsu) and not raw (nama).

  • Last Update
    December 9, 2022

    Area Matsushima Bay

Details

ADDRESS

Isozaki-100-30 Isozaki, Matsushima-Machi Miyagi-gun, Miyagi-ken 981-0212

ACCESS BY PUBLIC TRANSIT

7-minute walk from Takagimachi Station (Senseki-Tohoku & Senseki Line)

CREDIT CARDS

Not accepted

LANGUAGES

Japanese only

HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

No

HOURS

8:00–17:00

CLOSED DAYS

Wednesdays (April to September) 0pen every day except year-end and New Year holidays from October to March (oyster production months).

PHONE

022-354-2555

OFFICIAL URL

http://matsushima-kaki.jp/

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN

No

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE MENU

No

NON-SMOKING

Yes

TABLE CHARGE

No

RESERVATION

Not necessary