“I want to eat something fresh and tasty-- What do you recommend?”

If you ask anyone in Kokura, they’ll all say the same thing:
“You should go to Tanga Market!”
Tanga Market.
The name sounds a bit unusual, even to native Japanese speakers. It only makes sense to Kita Kyushu natives.

The Tanga Market dates back to the early Taisho era when a ship docked at the Jigokugawa River and started doing business right then and there. When locals saw this, they quickly started gathering fruits and vegetables to sell, and gradually the area acted as a makeshift marketplace.

It wasn’t until after World War II that it became a proper market. It was known as “Kitakyushu’s Kitchen,” where merchants gathered and sold fresh food and produce to hoards of customers. The high demand for fresh produce is what led to the first 24-hour supermarket in Japan right here in Tanga Market.

In its own way, the sign outside Tanga Market fits perfectly into the modern cityscape of chain restaurants and stores, withstanding the test of time.

This is a marketplace that was needed here in Kokura, both back then and today.