Shizuoka

Enjoy the bounty of the sea from one of the nation’s top whitebait fishing grounds.

Whitebait Cooking

Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically sardines and pilchards between one and two months old. The Suruga bay fed by the Fuji, Abe, and Oi rivers attracts vast amounts of plankton, and is known as one of the leading whitebait fishing grounds in Japan. Fresh whitebait are delicious eaten raw, but as they spoil easily, they are often enjoyed in various ways such as ‘kamaage’, ‘chirimen-boshi’, and ‘tatamiiwashi’ each of which has its own unique flavor. Whitebait are also rich in natural minerals, DHA, EPA and calcium, and are a health food said to lower cholesterol levels.