Pat's Blog

Takamatsu’s itadaki sans, fishmongers peddling heavily laden tricycles, are unique. They cruise slowly around the town in the mornings, knives sharpened, scales ready and fresh fish cooled on ice for sale at predetermined spots. Some call out; “O sakana ikaga desuka?”



This name derived from the old days when the women would carry a shallow wooden pail with fish on their heads and call “itadaku!” The legend tells us a young princess came from Kyoto, married a Takamatsu local. To support the family she started selling fish from this pail carried around on her head. And that’s how it all started … selling fish outside in this style but now using tricycles. The name “itadaku” which means offering thanks for the food we are about to eat, then came in to being as the call tor her customers. The “san” a suffix similar to ‘madam.’



The numbers of itadaki sans has declined from the peak in the 50s at around 200, then in about ’85 to 100 or so. There were many even in Sakaide and Kannonji but now none. The average age of the current itadaki sans is 70~80


Sadly though, here in Kagawa they are decreasing in numbers every year. “The young girls just don’t have the legs for the job” is how one itadaki san described it to me. “Nope, they just don’t have it these girls, so what are we all gonna do? Mnnn …”


So soon, as with many other things in Japan we’ll be looking for the lost once again. A vibrant part of Japanese culture that allows interactions with well known fish-sellers and customers having a little chat about life, the weather, kids … gives way to impersonal staff at equally impersonal convenience stores and supermarkets. Unlike my conversations with the local barber as a kid. Little snippets of both hair, grapevine news and school-of-life wisdom all free and often useful.


Some itadaki sans know their customers so well they advise the day’s menu and prepare the fish they think the family needs on the day.



The Takamatsu Fish Markets are where the itadaki sans stock up, although some have a direct connection to fishermen and buy directly from the boats. This is an area near Hamano Cho and close to the city. The grounds here are full of fishermen’s nets, black buoys and steel grids for seaweed harvesting, all manner of sundry fishing gear and yet the area is pretty clean considering …



It’s my belief that the itadaki sans sell a fresher, better product and a cheaper one to this fish consuming nation and it makes me sad to know they are on the way out.



Japan and China are two of the world’s biggest consumers of marine products. In December, Marubeni Corp. bought a U.S. marine product factory in Alaska for about $47 million. And with the factory, Marubeni can supply 57.000 tons of marine product mainly Alaskan salmon to Japan and the world. And in November, Mitsubishi purchased a Chilean salmon farming company producing about 20,000 tons of salmon a year. “Owning companies like this is just as valuable to us as owning promising mines or oil fields,” A Marubeni official said (source Daily Yomiuri Business News Feb. 27 2012) Fish farming technologies and overseas resourcing by such giants as Toyota Tsusho Corp. has limits. Sea areas suitable for fish farming are limited and becoming fewer. Coupled with this, the price of feeding the fish with fishmeal has of course also increased.


Indeed, with the world’s fishing stocks in danger of collapse and the dramatic rise of primal sea-life forms, aka jellyfish etc., we all have cause for concern.


So make my order from an itadaki san every time. This seems an ecologically stable and far more sensible way to sell and buy fish.


I felt a little sad writing this article as I’ve realized that along with family barbers we’re losing something important here.

So until next week. Keep all those cards ‘n letters coming in!