KUROSHIO MARKET, WAKAYAMA, JAPAN

黒潮市場 . 구로시오 시장 . 黑潮市场

 

It's a rainy day today.

We rented a car from Nippon Rent-A-Car for the day, and Mom said it's funny how it rained every time she rented a car overseas.

 

 

     Address:    〒640-8203 和歌山県和歌山市東蔵前丁 3-1

     Tel:           073-431-8828
     Directions: Click here
     Opening Hours: Daily 8am - 7pm (closed on New Year's Day)

 

And we are off to the Wakayama Marina City 和歌山マリーナシティ, to visit the Kuroshio Market 黒潮市場 and the Kinokuni Fruits Village 紀ノ国フルーツ村 today!

 

Grandma took this photo as we crossed this big bridge

The place has a different feel from Wakayama city

We arrived early, and had to wait for the market to open.

Because we were near the sea, it was chilly and windy.

 

Porto Europa ポルトヨーロッパ theme park on the left, Kuroshio Market on the right

This lane sold fresh seafood, the lane beside sold
cooked food, and the section behind was mainly gift items

 

Wakayama is also famous for its preserved plums 梅

 

I enjoyed watching the Tuna Cutting Demonstration, and this was my first time seeing a tuna fish so close.

 

 

Demonstration at 11am, 12:30pm, and 3pm

Mom said we should have lunch here in case it was difficult to find another lunch place elsewhere. We sat outside, and the cold wind made my noodles turn cold really fast.

 

Buy our meal first ...

Then head outside to eat

Maguro ramen 800円, Ebiten udon 800円

Ootoro 1000円

After lunch, we visited the Kinokuni Fruits Village next door.

 

There's our rental car!

 

Mom's Notes

• While it's comparatively easier to drive outside the city, assisted by the English-speaking car navigation system, I experienced some challenges even in a small place like Wakayama - trying to understand highway signs, unexpected large amount of highway toll fees paid, very narrow roads in small historic towns, and extremely strict parking regulations
• The Wakayama branch of Nippon Rent-A-Car does not have an English speaking staff, and my Japanese vocabulary does not extend towards understanding parking regulations and rental jargons... I just assumed the universal standards apply! Otherwise, it was easy to reserve a car, the rental rates are comparably lower than Singapore, and the car condition was pretty good
• Essentially, the reason we rented a car was because of accessibility and train timings that made it challenging for us to cover several places in a day. Moreover, my estimated cost for 3 people taking public transport is almost the same as the total car rental expenses
• Overall, the market was a disappointment and was much smaller than I had expected, and I would not have visited just to witness the tuna cutting demonstration
• Furthermore, the noodles sold there were relatively awful... tempura was fried beforehand and hence, was soft and not crispy when served
• I gave Porto Europa a complete miss when I was planning the itinerary ... didn't think it made sense to visit an European-themed theme park in Japan. It was good thing too since it was raining that day
• Useful to download this Wakayama Driving Guide into the tablet as there are map codes provided that you can simply key into the car navigation system

   

     Address:    〒641-0014 和歌山県和歌山市毛見1527番地

     Tel:           073-448-0300
     Directions: Click here

     Opening Hours: Daily 10am - 6pm (calendar)
     Parking:            1-hour free parking for retail purchases above 1000円
                             2-hour free parking for F&B purchases
                             (enquire at the information booth inside the market)