Oyster

Oyster farming in Akkeshi town, located in Eastern Hokkaido, Japan, is one of the important industries that support the town. In the past, wild oysters were collected as traditional oyster fisheries. However, reproduction rates of natural oyster decreased drastically from the late 1950s, and oyster cultivation using seedlings from Miyagi Prefecture was started. In the Heisei era (1989), Akkeshi town tried to develop its own artificial seedling production method called the "single seed" method, parallel to the method using oyster seedling attached in scallop shells from other prefectures. Oysters cultured by “single seed” method are characterized by beautiful round shape and mostly consumed as raw dish.

In the video below, you can see the oysters being farmed in baskets and the series of steps taken to ship them.

In Akkeshi Town, there is Akkeshi Bay and the brackish water Lake Akkeshi that is connected to it. It is rich in nutrients necessary for phytoplankton growth and cold due to the influence of the cold current (Oyashio) all year round. Oysters in Atsukishi have their own brands such as "Oi Emon", "Maruemon", and "Benten Oyster", and oysters that grow up big and big in cold water can be eaten raw all year round. You can enjoy raw oysters as well as fried oysters. You can visit Akkeshi or order oysters of various sizes online at the direct sales store of the Akkeshi Fisheries Cooperative Association (Auroko). Please also see the video of Auroko.