匠TAKUMIThe 3 professionals key tothe well-established premier brandProfessionalskills (1)The discerning eye of middle wholesalers

The high-quality tiger puﬀer sold at Haedomari Market are selected through the discerning eye ofwholesalers.
Auctioneers and middle wholesalers make tension-ﬁlled bids amid the extreme cold of Haedomari Market in
mid winter. They determine price by moving their ﬁngers inside a kind of traditional black sleeve that
protects the privacy of the bid.
Rather than immediately removing the auctioned tiger puﬀer, they are kept in the middle wholesalersʼ tanks
to ﬁrm up the ﬂesh. This reduces the stress placed on the tiger puﬀer and boosts the quality of the meat.
Professionalskills (2)Safe, secure detoxiﬁcation techniques

The sale of untreated tiger puﬀer to general consumers is prohibited by law. Professionals capable of quickly
and safely removing the poisonous parts (a technique called “migaki”) are required. They possess skills
cultivated through training and have knowledge of various tiger puﬀer and their diﬀering poisonous parts. InYamaguchi prefecture, detoxiﬁcation can only be conducted by either a puﬀerﬁsh chef who has passed thetest to become a tiger puﬀer processing specialist, or under the supervision of one.
Since 1988, middle wholesalers who are members of the Shimonoseki Fuku Union have taken turns serving
tiger puﬀer to the Imperial Family each year.
Professional
skills (3)Culinary skills of professionals who artfully arrange sashimi

The classic example of tiger puﬀer cuisine is sashimi. The meat of detoxiﬁed (“migaki”) puﬀerﬁsh is of uneventhickness, and cutting it into ultra thin slices of XX millimeters of equal size is truly an art form. Each andevery slice of sashimi is carefully arranged on a large plate to transform into a crane taking ﬂight or a brightchrysanthemum. The culinary artists have striven to create these beautiful, mesmerizing arrangements withthe aim of sharpening their skills.

くふ関下What is Shimonoseki Fuku?
Shimonoseki Fuku

This refers to tiger puﬀer (“migaki”) sold atHaedomari Market (Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi
prefecture) that have had the poisonous parts
removed by a member of the Shimonoseki-Karato
Fish Market Middle Traders Association.
(1) Middle wholesalers who skillfully identify
high-quality puﬀerﬁsh, (2) professionals possessing
the proven talent to safely and quickly detoxify thepuﬀerﬁsh, and (3) chefs with the culinary skills tocut tiger puﬀer into ultrathin slices and beautifullyarrange it on serving dishes together comprise a
top-quality brand known throughout Japan that isbuilding a strong community.

Why Shimonoseki?
Though tiger puﬀer has long been eaten in Japan,
its consumption was banned in the late 16thcentury because it contains poisonous parts.
However, when the ﬁrst prime minister of Japan,
Hirobumi Ito visited the city of Shimonoseki, he fellin love with tiger puﬀer, and for the ﬁrst time inJapan the ban on puﬀerﬁsh was lifted only within
Yamaguchi prefecture.
Haedomari Market, located in Shimonoseki, has theworldʼs only wholesale market specializing in tiger
puﬀer and sells tiger puﬀer caught throughoutJapan.

Incomparable flavor
The art of ultrathin slices!

Superb texture!

The ﬁn creates a rich aroma!

Fugu-sashi (tiger puﬀer sashimi)

Grilled shirako (soft roe/testis)

Hire-zake (hot sake with dried tiger-puﬀer ﬁn)Rich in collagen!

Concentrated umami ﬂavor!

Tender texture!

Chiri-nabe (tiger puﬀer pot)

Fugu zosui (porridge)

Kara-age (deep-fried tiger puﬀer)“Shimonoseki Fuku” is the registered trademark of the
Shimonoseki-Karato Market Fish Market Middle Traders
Association.
A regional brand known throughout Japan, “ShimonosekiFuku” is also registered as a regional collective trademark.
As a fishery product, “Shimonoseki Fuku” was also the first inJapan to be registered under the geographical indication
system by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Useful Links For Visitors:
Karato Fish Market

https://shimonoseki.travel/english/food/market.html

Shimonoseki

Shimonoseki-Karato Fish Market Middle Traders Association
http://karato-n.axis.or.jp/

Shimonoseki Sightseeing Guide

https://shimonoseki.travel/english/index.html

Access to Shimonoseki

https://shimonoseki.travel/english/pdf/access.pdf