The market that became the origin of the Mackerel Road long ago was relocated to this area. One might have seen this place full of stores dealing in marine products before then. This vista, then, appears like the culmination of Obama’s history.
Let us actually taste Obama mackerel here at the origin of it all. You can start, for example, with “Nare-zushi,” or fermented sushi, which has a long history. It originated from a long-term preservation method of pickling and fermenting fish in rice, so that fish could be transported and stored over long distances. After that came Kyoto’s “saba-zushi,” made from mackerel and born from a desire to preserve the mackerel’s freshness, which is then connected to the “nigiri-zushi” of Edo. You can taste the very history of sushi here.

And speaking of storied dishes from Obama, we have “hamayaki-sabazushi”: beach-broiled mackerel sushi. Broiling is the easiest way to preserve food for short amounts of time. That’s why they broiled and ate freshly-caught Obama mackerel right there at the beach. It’s a luxury exclusive to the port city of Obama.

They had to salt the fish in order to deliver it to Kyoto, but what about Tokyo? How can they taste the salt-pickled mackerel of Kyoto in the best way? That was how chefs developed a new form of saba-zushi, forgoing the salt and pickling the fish in vinegar or kombu instead. “Yakisaba-zushi” united these innovations.

Fresh Wakasa mackerel remains a scarce ingredient. That is why fisheries are working to raise more, and these fish are referred to as “Obama yopparai-saba” or “drunken Obama mackerel.” They are fed sake lees from Kyoto as they’re raised, and they are so fresh they can be eaten as sashimi.

Obama and Tokyo’s gastronomy is a layer cake of influence, brought about by traffic through the Mackerel Road. I encourage you to experience the results in the present.