Although a small village, not even a city as it is part of enlarged Numazu City, Heda in the north west of Izu Peninsula is nonetheless a major shipping harbor in Shizuoka Prefecture with more than 1,400 years of officially-recorded history!
It is the only place where for example you still can see live Takaashigani/高足蟹/Japanese spider crab, the largest crab in the world!
Yesterday I had the occasion to visit the Heda Fishermen Cooperative Direct Sales Fishmarket/戸田漁協直売所.
It is not big as more than 95% of the fish and seafood caught in Suruga Bay by the fishing boats of Heda will at once been dispatched far and away (especially Tokyo!). But at least that little establishment gives you an idea of what beauties are caught in the vicinity!
Let’s have a good look at what we have here…
Enormous te-naga ebi/手長海老/Scampi/Gambas!
Megisu/目鱚/a variety of sillago found in very deep sea, a specialty of the region!
Aka ika/赤烏賊/Red squids caught overnight! I actually saw the boats coming back home!
Madai/真鯛/True Seabreams!
Kawahagi/カワハギ/Threadsail Filefish/Leatherjackets, a most underestimated delicacy!
Budai/ブダイ/Calotomus japonicus (Valenciennes) and Kasago/カサゴ/False kelpfish; Marbled rockfish (smaller one)!
Ridiculously low prices for such fresh beauties!
Warasa/ワラサ/Young Japanese Amberjack!
Kinmedai/金目鯛/Spledid Alfonsino, a top-class fish on Tokyo tables!
More warasa at ridiculous prices!
Takahasigani/高足蟹/Japanese Spider Crab! A small one, although it already reaches almost a meter from leg tip to leg tip!
Sazae/サザエ/Turbo shells! Another expensive delicacy on Tokyo tables!
Live Iseebi/伊勢海老/Spiny lobsters!
Izu Peninsula is celebrated for its extravagant salt: Ida Shio/井田塩 gathered in Ida near Heda!
Top-class nori/のり/seaweed!
Izu Peninsula produces half of all sun-dried fish and seafood/Himono/干物 in Japan!
Aji no Himono/鯵の干物/Dried Horse Mackerel!
Kinmedai Himono from Heda! Again ridiculously low-priced!
Saba Himono from Heda/鯖/Mackerel!
And this is only one of many reasons to visit Heda!
Access: Go down at Mishima JR Station, take the local train/Izu hakone Line to Shyuzenji at the local station just beside the Mishima Station Entrance (30 minutes, 510 yen). Take a bus from Shyuzenji Station to Heda, terminal No 6 (54 minutes, 1,000 yen)
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