Hakodate Morning Market
One of Japan's top morning markets, open from 5:00am (May–Dec) or 6:00am (Jan–Apr) with hundreds of stalls selling live hairy crab, scallops, sea urchin and salmon roe straight from the Tsugaru Strait. Eat it raw, grilled or in a rice bowl on the spot.
1–2 hours
Free entry; food priced per item
6:00–14:00 (some vendors from 5:00); market quiets significantly after 12:00
Year-round (hairy crab: May–August)
1-min walk from Hakodate Station
Location
Why Visit
- 1
Don-don market lets you catch your own squid from a small tank and have it sliced immediately
- 2
Hairy crab (ke-gani) is seasonal (May–Aug) and prized above all other local seafood
- 3
The mini donburi (rice bowl) with sea urchin, crab and salmon roe is the dish to order
- 4
Stalls accept comparison shopping — vendors compete on freshness and price
Local Tips
Arrive before 8am for the best selection and freshest crab, uni, and ikura (salmon roe). The squid fishing pond — where you catch your own squid and have it prepared immediately — is a Hakodate signature experience. The better-value stalls are one row back from the main tourist-facing street.
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