1The largest in Japan! What is the "Tatehana Wharf Morning Market" where you can find anything?

The Tatehana Wharf Morning Market is one of the largest morning markets in Japan, and is held only on Sundays from mid-March to late December. Every week, an 800m-long morning market street appears at the Tatehana Wharf in Hachinohe Port, where the market is held, and tens of thousands of people visit.
The reason for its popularity is the wide variety of shops. At the roughly 300 stalls, you can find not only seafood from Hachinohe, but also fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as a wide selection of take-out gourmet foods made with local specialties such as mackerel and squid. There are also shops selling original goods made by tatami craftsmen, furniture handmade by carpenters, handmade toys, sewing machines, hardware, accessories, and other items that you wouldn't expect to find at a morning market.
This anything-goes openness is what makes this morning market so appealing. It's a fun spot that's worth getting up early for.

Tatehana Pier Morning Market

• http://minatonichiyouasaichikai.com/
• Aomori Prefecture Hachinohe City Shinminato 3-chome Tatehana Wharf Morning Market MAP
• About 20 minutes by taxi from Hachinohe Station About 10 minutes on foot from Mutsuminato Station
• Sunrise to 9:00
• Mondays to Saturdays from mid-March to late December, January to mid-March, and on Umineko Marathon days (mid-May). There are also special events during Golden Week, Obon, and the end of the year, and in 2018, the events were held on August 11th (Saturday, national holiday) and December 29th (Saturday)
• 080-5734-3251（湊日曜朝市会事務局）
• free

2What are the best times to Direction, and Parking? Tips for enjoying the morning market

The morning market starts just before dawn when it is still dim. Little by little, shops start to set up, and by the time the sun rises, all the shops are set up and the market is bustling with people.
The market is open until around 9am, with the peak crowds at around 7am, but at popular stores, lines form before the doors open, and many menu items sell out by 5 or 6am. If there's something you're after, it's best to head to the market at dawn.

Also, since Parking is almost full by 5am, we recommend Direction by public transport. You can take the Sunday Morning Market Circular Bus "Isabago" (100 yen) from downtown Hachinohe, or walk from JR Hachinohe Line Mutsuminato Station.
However, the earliest flight for either service only arrives at around 6:00, so if you want to arrive earlier, it's better to take a taxi from Hachinohe Station or elsewhere. Since it's early in the morning, it's recommended that you make a reservation.

The first thing you should get at the morning market is the "Tatehana Wharf Morning Market Map." Not only can you check the locations of the shops, but it's also very useful as it's easy to read and includes photos and recommended comments.
If you want to buy it locally, go to the "Morning Market Mail Order Souvenir Shop" or the Morning Market Association Office. If you want it in advance, you can order it from the website "Web Hachinohe Morning Market Mail Order."
In addition, the Morning Market Association Office will also ship the items you buy at the morning market, so even if you end up buying too many souvenirs, you can still go home feeling light and refreshed.

3Recommended Gourmet #1: Eating local fresh seafood on the go

The highlight of this morning market is undoubtedly the local food that is unique to Hachinohe.
Being close to the fishing port, there are many dishes using freshly caught seafood as ingredients, and even just the local specialty mackerel is used in a variety of dishes such as pressed sushi, croquettes, skewers, and fried foods. Among them, the mackerel specialty store "Saba no Mise Marukane" has a wide selection of dishes made with the brand fish "Hachinohe Maeoki mackerel". If you purchase freshly made local soup such as "Ichigo-ni" at the booth next door, "Yukko-chan no Mise", your original breakfast set will be complete.

In addition, the market is a gourmet paradise, with a variety of seafood stalls, including the famous charcoal grill restaurant "Uo Kobo Katsura," which has been in business for over 25 years, as well as restaurants selling more seafood dishes than you can eat, such as sea squirt rice, grilled sea urchin, and fried foods. It's hard to choose, but there are dishes that can be eaten with one hand and bite-sized dishes, so it's recommended to try a little bit of each flavor.

4Recommended Gourmet 2: Perfect for breakfast. Popular local cuisine

This is a breakfast spot frequented by locals. Not only are there producers of fresh produce and processed seafood, but there are also many cafes from Hachinohe and nearby towns that set up shop here. As a result, you can enjoy a wide variety of locally popular dishes, including local cuisine, B-grade gourmet food, homemade bread, and sweets.
One of these is Hachinohe's specialty "Senbei-jiru." It is a light soy sauce-based soup topped with Nanbu senbei rice crackers, with a mild flavor made with the flavor of the vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, and other ingredients. The Nanbu senbei rice crackers are designed not to dissolve in the soup, and you can enjoy their unique chewy texture.

Also, the "Shioteba" (half size) at "Daian Shokudo" is a popular menu item that sells out by around 5am. The chicken wings are deep-fried, and the crispy batter and juicy chicken meat go perfectly together.
And "Ichiyama Seimen" is famous for its all-you-can-pack yakisoba, so even if the noodles overflow from the pack or the lid won't close, it's OK as long as there's a rubber band. Even if you think you've packed it to the limit, the shop staff will say "There's still more," and give you another bowl or two, showing their great service spirit.
In addition, local delicacies such as traditional snacks like miso mochi (rice cakes with miso) and tofu grilled in miso, as well as fruit sticks, are all gathered in one place.

5Recommended Gourmet #3: Unique Hachinohe-style Sweets that Make Great Souvenirs

Along with eating your way around, you'll also want to enjoy shopping. In addition to cheap and fresh ingredients such as fresh fish, dried fish, and seafood delicacies, as well as local apples and vegetables, we also recommend the unique products that are characteristic of this morning market.
For example, the "Minami Yaki" available at the long-established coffee shop "Kousai Coffee Minami" is a baked confectionery consisting of custard cream and sweet bean paste sandwiched between waffle dough. It is shaped like the characters associated with Hachinohe, "Isaba no Katcha" and "Ikazukins," and is perfect as a souvenir.

In addition, "Kousai Coffee Minami" collaborated with Japanese sweets shop "Nakamura Seika" and a garlic shop to create "Black Garlic Coffee Yokan." The flavor of chopped garlic and coffee are a strange match, and it has become one of the most popular items at the morning market.
Nakamura Confectionery's Rakugan sugar confectionery, which is based on the seafood that is a Hachinohe specialty, is also a hot topic. Among them, squid, which is said to be the number one seafood landing in Hachinohe Port in the country, is the most popular.