Nijo Market

The Nijo Market has been selling its freshly caught and prepared merchandise for over a hundred years since its establishment in 1903. It is located at the center of Sapporo; it’s a short walk to Nijo Station and a few blocks away from the Odori Park. The market started with only a few stands and now it occupies a city block with more than 50 different vendors. Among its fresh sea urchins, crabs, and other fish products, it also offers merchandise like melons, individually packaged corn, and other fruits and vegetables. This market offers fresh and reasonable prices for seafood and local produce, which may be a factor for attracting not only locals, but also non-residents and visitors. At the Nijo Market, you are allowed to bargain with the vendors to bring the prices down, which is a rarely acceptable in Japan.

If visitors do not wish to cook the sea products themselves, they can always go to a shop or restaurants where they can get their meal prepared for them. Usually the choice you have for your seafood is to either get it boiled or grilled on the spot. Some restaurants in the vicinity sell donburi (rice bowl) dishes that include fish atop the rice serving. The most recommended donburi is the uni ikura donburi, sea urchin rice bowl, for breakfast. Also it is a must to have Hokkaido’s King Crab, which people have said has a sweet taste and does not need flavor added to it. You can also get souvenirs here of dried or frozen seafood. With these many attractions, it is no wonder that the market takes up the space of a city block.