Nanki-Shirahama: A Seafood Lover’s Sacred Pilgrimage

#seafoodlover
In Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, where the Kumano Kodo meets the Pacific, **Nanki-Shirahama** isn’t just a beach town—it’s a **briny altar to seafood perfection**. Here, morning catches land on grills before noon, and every meal feels like a communion with the Kuroshio Current’s bounty.

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### **Why Shirahama’s Seafood Dazzles**
🐟 **Market to Mouth in Minutes**
- **Shirahama Fish Market (Toretore)**: Auction-grade **tuna belly** sliced for sashimi at 9AM, **spiny lobster** (Ise ebi) still twitching on ice.
- **Kamayama Morning Market**: Grandmas sell just-dug **awabi (abalone)** with homemade sudachi citrus sauce.

🔥 **Open-Air Devotion**
- **Susami’s “Dancing Squid”**: At **Marine Kitchen**, your donburi comes with a **fresh squid that “dances” under soy sauce** (nerve reflexes!).
- **Kushimoto’s Ise-ebi Grill**: Whole lobster charred over binchotan coal at **Shirasuna**, served with ocean views.

🍣 **Sacred Techniques**
- **Mehari-zushi**: Wakayama’s giant fermented mackerel sushi, wrapped in pickled mustard leaves (**Haginochaya**’s 200-year-old recipe).
- **Kue (longtooth grouper) nabe**: Milky-hotpot at **Yukawa**, where the collagen-rich broth promises eternal youth.

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### **Seaside Rituals**
- **Senjojiki Rock Plateau**: Collect turban shells at low tide, then grill them beachside.
- **Shirahama Onsen**: Soak in **sodium-rich waters** (said to mimic seawater) after a seafood feast.

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)**
"Where every scale, shell, and tentacle is treated with the reverence of a samurai’s sword."

*Secret Move: Order **“sashimi moriawase”** at tiny **Marutomi Shoten**—the chef selects that morning’s 10 best catches.* 🐡🔪

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*"In Shirahama, the ocean isn’t just outside—it’s on the plate, in the air, and in your dreams after too much sake."*

*(Note: Avoid Sept typhoons. For luxury, stay at **Shirahama Key Terrace Hotel**’s ocean-view onsens.)* 🏖️🍶