Wakayama: Learn & Taste Japan Tuna Culture in Nachikatsuura

Explore the Tuna Museum and Katsuura Fish Market in Nachikatsuura on a guided tour. Learn about the tuna trade, discover the cultural significance of tuna, and enjoy a fresh tuna donburi bowl.
Begin your tour near the waterfront and the Tuna Museum’s observation deck “Tsunagood.” From this vantage point, overlooking the bay where fishing boats return each morning, learn how Japan’s tuna trade evolved—from hand-thrown harpoons and wooden boats to modern fleets that still respect the principles of sustainable fishing.

Inside the museum, discover the astonishing biology of tuna, one of the ocean’s most efficient swimmers, and the cultural significance that has turned it into the cornerstone of Japanese cuisine. Hear how tuna became inseparable from sushi, not as luxury, but as a democratic food of the people—eaten at standing counters, celebrated in festivals, and revered as a taste of the sea itself.

At the Katsuura Fish Market, experience this philosophy firsthand, selecting from glistening cuts of freshly landed tuna and enjoying a donburi bowl prepared moments before. Amid the bustle of vendors and the scent of sea salt, every bite becomes a conversation—between past and present, between nature and culture, between the traveler and the land they’ve come to know.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.