Kushiro Washo Market

The Washo Market (和商市場, Washo Ichiba) in Kushiro, Hokkaido is a market specializing in selling fish produce to the public. The market first opened in 1949 and it is located close to the Kushiro Station, which is within a five-minute walking distance. The building the market resides in was refurbished in 1999 and is rather nondescript compared to other places. It is considered one of the top three markets to go to in Hokkaido along with Sapporo’s Nijo Market and Hakodate’s Asaichi. The vicinity holds over 60 food vendors that sell vegetables, fruits, seafood, or meals for the public. One of these meals includes the popular dish called kattedon (勝手丼), a rice bowl (donburi) meal that allows customers to add their favorite toppings on top of the rice. Be careful when putting the toppings because if you do not pay attention to the price then the kattedon can become an expensive meal. There are different vendors to choose from with a variety of prices, but the method of creating your rice bowl is the same. There are a few vendors in the market that offer meat products like lamb or bear meat native to Hokkaido.