Kure Taisho Town Market

The Kure Taisho Town Market, has been popular with locals for well over 100 years. The most popular item at the retro market is the ultra-fresh seafood bowl (Kure-don), which is topped with your favorite ingredients. Another touch of retro that colours the market is the fishing flags that adorn the ceilings and stores. Called tairyo-bata in Japanese, these bright and festive flags were flown by fishing boats returning to port with a good haul.

The Kure Taisho Town Market came about after the fishermen's wives began to gather and sell the caught fish. The fish caught that morning by the local fishermen are displayed out the front of each store by 11:00am, so this is the best time to see the market in action. If you're not sure what type of fish you're looking at, feel free to ask the store staff - communication with the friendly locals is part of the fun of the market! While seafood is the main attraction, there are also stores selling local fruit and vegetables, handmade side dishes and even bags and aprons made from the vibrant tairyo-bata fishing flags.