There are two Ohno Shouten stores in the neighborhood, and this one feels like a local favorite spot! The quality and price of the shishamo they sell here are on par with each other. If you visit during the right season, you can even have them grilled on the stove in the store! I was shown the stock in the freezer and was able to get some small-sized shishamo that I like, both male and female, today!

I decided to go to the famous town of Mukawa to get some delicious "Shishamo" that is currently in season. I arrived at Ono Shoten, where they use the traditional method of drying Shishamo on bamboo screens and sell freshly made Shishamo at the store. Next to the store, skilled artisans were skewering fresh Shishamo on bamboo sticks. Inside the store, there were many Shishamo hanging on screens, seemingly waiting to be eaten. When I asked the staff for recommendations, they said it depends on personal preference. The larger ones are good for munching, the smaller ones are crispy and fragrant when grilled, the rarer ones offer a more fish-like taste, and the completely dried ones have a concentrated Shishamo flavor. I was torn on what to choose. In the end, I decided on a slightly rare Shishamo of medium size. I also couldn't resist getting some Karei and Hocce, which were recommended by the staff. The Hocce was indeed delicious and juicy, and the Karei was meaty and tasty. I regretted not getting some of the completely dried ones as well. I took everything home and enjoyed the thick and flavorful Shishamo. It was so delicious, unlike anything I had tasted before. The Hocce was also juicy and tasty, perfect for munching. The Karei was meaty and delicious as well. I couldn't help but think that I won't be able to go back to buying the cheap ones at the supermarket after this. There is no eat-in option at this store, so everything is for takeout. Enjoy these delicious fish at home and have a great meal! Be careful not to confuse this store with the similarly named Kanedai Ono Shoten in the neighborhood. It's fun to choose fish with different drying levels according to your preference. And most importantly, they are delicious! Thank you for the meal!

Use for 2022 gifts

After eating soba at a certain gate, my friend and I drove towards New Chitose Airport to send him off on his last day in town. But before that, he mentioned that he wanted to buy some local shishamo as a gift for a colleague who had been away on a business trip for several days. We headed to a shishamo shop in Mukawa, where we found a few shops selling the fish. We arrived at a shop with shishamo hanging outside, indicating that the season was almost over. Inside, there weren't many products as the shishamo catch was low this year. The fish were small, about the size of smelt. The prices were on the high side, so I decided not to buy. My friend had to send shishamo to multiple addresses, so he wrote down the addresses while I waited in the car. After a while, he suggested we try some grilled shishamo. The shopkeeper grilled a few small shishamo for us to try, and they were delicious with a nice fatty flavor. It was a nice experience to watch them being grilled on a stove. The shopkeeper offered us some smaller shishamo as a gift, and we enjoyed them with a desire for some sake.