The autumn fishing season for sakura ebi (桜えび, sakura shrimp), nicknamed the "Jewel of Suruga Bay" (駿河湾の宝石) and landed only in Suruga Bay in Japan, runs from Thursday, October 29 to Thursday, December 24, 2026. Around Yui Fishing Port (由比漁港) in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, an area known as "Shizumae" (しずまえ), seasonal sakura ebi dishes are on offer, including highly transparent raw sakura ebi (生桜えび) available only at this time of year and freshly fried, crispy kakiage (かき揚げ).
Sakura ebi kakiage
This article also introduces the efforts of local fishermen to protect marine resources and pass the fishery on to the future through a pool system with joint fishing and equal profit sharing, as well as long-established local restaurants in Yui and Kambara (蒲原) where you can enjoy authentic sakura ebi dishes, and other spots you can only experience in this area.
Sakura Ebi, Found Only in Suruga Bay
A Deep-Sea Jewel of Suruga Bay
Sakura ebi are deep-sea crustaceans that live at depths of 200 m or more during the day and rise to the upper layers of the sea at night. They have about 155 photophores (light-emitting organs) on their bodies and glow a translucent, beautiful cherry-blossom pink, which has earned them the names "Jewel of Suruga Bay" and "Ruby of the Sea" (海のルビー). The only boats in Japan licensed to fish for them are 120 vessels in Shizuoka Prefecture (the Yui, Kambara, and Oigawa districts), so all sakura ebi landed in Japan come from Suruga Bay, making them an extremely rare local specialty.
Raw Sakura Ebi, a Seasonal Treat
The sakura ebi fishing season is held only twice a year, in spring (late March to early June) and autumn (late October or early November to late December). The shrimp landed in autumn are "new shrimp" (新えび, young shrimp) that spawned and hatched in summer and have grown to about 20 mm. Their rich sweetness that spreads the moment they enter the mouth and their plump texture are unique to the autumn season. In Yui, the production area, you can enjoy them raw (生桜えび), as well as in a variety of other dishes such as kamaage (釜揚げ, boiled shrimp) and fragrant kakiage.
Sakura ebi
Sustainable Resource Management by Fishermen
To protect and pass on the resource to the future, local fishermen, including those of the Yui Port Fishermen's Cooperative (由比港漁協), thoroughly practice voluntary resource management. This includes checking the growth of the shrimp through trial fishing before setting out, voluntary limits on the catch, and a "pool system" (プール制, joint fishing and equal profit sharing) to prevent excessive competition. Rather than simply catching shrimp, they carry out sustainable fishing that protects the ecosystem of Suruga Bay and the sakura ebi resource.
Shizumae Fresh Fish From Shizuoka City's Home Waters
What Is "Shizumae"?
"Shizumae" (しずまえ) refers to the "maehama" (前浜, home waters) of Shizuoka City, the coastal area from Ishibe in Suruga Ward to Kambara in Shimizu Ward. It has three ports, Mochimune Fishing Port (用宗漁港), Shimizu Port (清水港), and Yui Fishing Port (由比漁港), and the seafood landed here is called "Shizumae Fresh Fish" (しずまえ鮮魚).
Suruga Bay is the deepest bay in Japan, at about 2,500 m, and a diverse ecosystem extends from the deep sea to the coast. Besides the boat-drawn net fishing (船びき網漁) used for sakura ebi and shirasu (whitebait), a variety of methods such as fixed nets and single-line fishing are used along the coast, landing hundreds of kinds of seasonal seafood, including horse mackerel, mackerel, cutlassfish, Spanish mackerel, tilefish, turban shells, and abalone. Because the ports are close to the towns, the greatest strength of Shizumae Fresh Fish is that it reaches tables and restaurants as fresh as when it came out of the net.
Restaurants Serving Authentic Sakura Ebi Dishes
Sushidokoro Yamashichi (鮨処やましち)
Loved by locals in Kambara, this restaurant serves a seafood rice bowl (海鮮丼) generously topped with beautiful, translucent raw sakura ebi and crispy kakiage. It also serves "okiagari" (沖あがり), a traditional local dish that was once eaten by local fishermen to warm their bodies and has been certified as one of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' "100-Year Food" (文化庁100年フード).
- Address: 3-3-10 Kambara, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
- Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Closed: Tuesdays
Sakura ebi dishes at Sushidokoro Yamashichi
Izutsuya (井筒屋)
A specialty restaurant for sakura ebi and seafood dishes in Yui-juku (由比宿), a post town on the Tokaido (東海道), that is particular about freshness and flavor. Its signature "Suruga Set Meal" (駿河定食) comes with sakura ebi rice made with top-grade sakura ebi, soft and crispy kakiage, clear soup, and sashimi. Okiagari and raw sakura ebi can also be enjoyed here.
- Address: 314 Yui, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
- Hours: 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Closed: Mondays (Tuesdays if Monday is a national holiday)
Sakura ebi dishes at Izutsuya
Learn About the History of Sakura Ebi
Yui Sakura Ebi Kan (ゆい桜えび館)
Eat, shop, and learn about the history and craft of sakura ebi at this sightseeing and experience facility run by Kakusa (カクサ), a long-established company founded in 1887 (Meiji 20). Through the glass-walled factory, visitors can watch the production process of "Shio no Hana" (潮の華), dried sardine shavings that won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. The facility has a wide selection of souvenirs and sells raw sakura ebi directly, and its dining area serves handmade soba and sakura ebi dishes.
Inside Yui Sakura Ebi Kan
- Address: 672-1 Yui, Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Sakura Ebi Chaya (桜えび茶屋): 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (may vary when crowded)
- Kezuribushi (Shaved Dried Fish) Production Viewing and Direct Sales Shop (削りぶし 製造見学直売所): 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Closed: New Year holidays
More Information
- Shizuoka City's official tourism site, Shizuoka City Tourism Navi (静岡市観光ナビ): https://www.visit-shizuoka.com/index.html
- Introducing seasonal ingredients of Shizuoka City, ZRATTO! Shizuoka (ZRATTO！しずおか): https://zratto.com/
- Yuimaru Project (ゆいまるプロジェクト) website: https://yuimaru-project.jp/
