“Eat More Fish!”: Japan’s Rock-and-Roll Fishmonger Crusades for Traditional Mealtime Staple

The “Captain” makes a guest appearance at a national gathering of fish sellers. (© Kawamoto Daigo)

Morita explains to a customer how to prepare and cook the recommended fish of the day.

Izugin is located in a residential area, a 10-minute walk from the Urayasu Station on the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line.

Not a few customers come to Morita’s shop just to enjoy the banter. The shop is busy from the moment it opens mid-morning.

Izugin carries a variety of rare cuts of tuna not found in the seafood section of supermarkets. (© Kawamoto Daigo)

Gyokō CDs line the shelf over the refrigerated display case. (© Kawamoto Daigo)

Most of the seafood at Izugin is sold whole.

Morita fillets a red snapper. He is always willing to teach customers how to prepare fish.

Cutting out a savory delicacy in a demonstration of tuna-carving at a musical event. Morita and his group have put on a similar performance at the famed Budōkan in Tokyo, Japan’s rock music mecca. (© Kawamoto Daigo)