1 / 2Sushi stalls at Karato MarketPhoto: Rick888chen / CC BY-SA 4.0
Tap a photo to see it large. 2 photographs, every one credited.
Karato Market is a wholesale fish market that also sells to the public.
Checked · Researched, not yet visited · times from official timetables and our estimates · Takumi Yamada
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the fishmongers of Karato Market sell sushi from their stalls, fugu nigiri among them: the Iki-iki Bakangai. Fri and Sat 08:00–15:00, Sun and holidays 07:00–15:00; each stall closes when its fish runs out. There are no stalls Monday to Thursday, and the market itself closes on most Wednesdays. Eat on the boardwalk over the strait.
- Number 1 of ten on our list for Shimonoseki.
- Short enough to be certain of: 2 hr door to door.
- Reachable on foot from the berth, so no timetable can strand you.
- On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "Yes" — start here, then walk on to Akama Jingu and the tunnel to Kyushu, and ferry back from Mojiko.
- No sushi stalls Monday to Thursday. Check the day before you plan around it.
- 05:00–15:00 — Sundays and holidays 07:00–15:00; shop hours vary. Closed on most Wednesdays, at Obon and at New Year.
- 2 hr door to door needs a 4-hour call: a 2–3 hour stop cannot hold it. Pick something closer instead.
Three places, three different answers
| Place | What you get |
|---|---|
| The famous oneIki-iki Bakangai, Karato Market唐戸市場 活きいき馬関街 | The fishmongers’ weekend sushi stalls on the market floor, fugu nigiri and the day’s catch as nigiri and bowls. Fri–Sat 08:00–15:00, Sun and holidays 07:00–15:00; not Monday to Thursday, not at New Year. Each stall sets its own hours and closes when it sells out. A rest space is upstairs. |
| Local pickKarato Harete Yokochoカラトハレテ横丁 | A food hall in the Karato shopping street, 3 min from Karato bus stop. Hours and closing days vary by shop. The sit-down option on days without stalls. |
| Closest to the berthKamon Wharfカモンワーフ | A seaside mall of restaurants and Kanmon seafood shops between the Kaikyokan and the market, the closest food to Arcaport. Hours are set per shop. |
Each name opens in Google Maps. Opening days change; check before you build a day around one.
Things worth knowing
- Check the day of the week before you plan: stalls run Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays only.
- The market closes on most Wednesdays; the Kanmon ferry and the tunnel run every day.
- The Kanmon ferry to Mojiko leaves from Karato Pier next door, about every 20 minutes in the daytime.
Sushi stalls at Karato Market and your ship
Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.
Where the 2 hr goes
The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside. The minutes are our estimates from timetables and maps, not timed on the ground.
If your ship is late, cut the 1 hr 35 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.
Questions
Which days are Karato Market’s sushi stalls open?
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: Friday and Saturday 08:00–15:00, Sunday and holidays 07:00–15:00. There are none from Monday to Thursday or at New Year, and each stall closes when it sells out.
Can I walk to Karato Market from the cruise ship?
From Arcaport, yes: about 1 km and about 15 minutes along the waterfront by our estimate. From Choshu Dejima, no: it is 7.6 km away on foot; take a taxi, about 20 minutes.
Routes that already include it
Finished days timed from official timetables and our estimates, with this stop in them.
Arcaport on foot: Karato Market and Akama JinguNeeds a 4.5-hour call · ~2.5h door to doorShort calls at Arcaport, best on a Friday, weekend or holiday when the sushi stalls run. From Choshu Dejima add a taxi each way, about 20 minUnder the strait to Kyushu, back by ferryNeeds a 6.5-hour call · ~4.5h door to doorArcaport calls of 6 hours or more, any day of the week. From Choshu Dejima take a taxi to Akama Jingu first, about ¥3,900 (our estimate)
Aquarium, the market hall and Kaikyo Yume TowerA wet day · ~4.5h door to doorA wet day at Arcaport: two roofed sights and a covered market. From Choshu Dejima, taxi to the aquarium and from the tower back to the shipWhat to put beside it
Each of these still lands you back aboard with the hour to spare.
