国東半島　春の風物詩　ヒジキ漁解禁

新年、新海苔！冬の味！！

Japanese blue crab (watarigani)

This species of crab is caught in large quantities in the Buzen Sea between Nakatsu and Kakaji. The fishing season runs from summer through winter, but the crabs are at their most delicious in the colder months....

Soft-shelled turtle (suppon)

When the early 20th century food critic Kenjiro Kinoshita wrote that Oita soft-shell turtles were exceptional in flavor, he brought this food to national attention in Japan. His nephew, Oita governor Kaoru Kinoshita, directed that the Inland Fisheries Research Center be built in Ajimu-machi (now part of Usa City). As a result of aquaculture research there, a method of heating fishponds in winter using natural hot spring water was developed. Oita is one of Japan’s leading soft-shell turtle producing regions, both in quantity and quality. It has long been known that eating soft-shell turtle helps alleviate fatigue and stress; recently, it has been embraced by women as a “beauty food” because it contains so much collagen....

Seki mackerel (sekiaji, sekisaba)

For centuries, the horse mackerel and chub mackerel caught by the intrepid fishermen of Saganoseki in Oita City have been prized around Japan. They are known, respectively, as “sakiaji” and “sekisaba.” Fishermen with long years of experience and expertise catch the fish using the traditional pole-and-line method to ensure sustainability. Sekiaji and sekisaba draw attention to the skill and commitment of the people who catch them, battling the waves day after day to bring home fresh seafood....