Toretore Market: A Huge Seafood Market
A Lively Market Filled with Fresh Seafood
One of the main attractions of Toretore Park is Toretore Market Nanki-Shirahama. The spacious market features fresh seafood counters, restaurants, prepared foods, and souvenir shops, creating a lively atmosphere that attracts many visitors throughout the year.
The market is operated by the local Katata Fisheries Cooperative Association, which helps maintain its reputation for fresh and high-quality seafood. In addition to seafood caught in the waters around Wakayama, visitors can find a wide variety of products brought in from other parts of Japan.
As soon as you enter the market, you can experience the aromas of fresh seafood and the energetic atmosphere of the vendors. Walking through the market can feel like visiting a traditional Japanese fishing-port marketplace, making the experience enjoyable even if you are simply browsing.
An Exciting Tuna Cutting Show
One of the market’s most popular attractions is the tuna cutting show. Skilled fishmongers demonstrate their impressive knife skills as they expertly cut a large whole tuna into smaller portions.
The combination of the enormous fish, the long knives, and the rapid yet precise movements of the professionals makes this an exciting spectacle. The freshly cut tuna is then sold at the market, allowing visitors to enjoy exceptionally fresh seafood. Depending on the occasion, tasting opportunities may also be available.
Enjoy Fresh Japanese Seafood
The market’s Toretore Yokocho food area offers a wide selection of seafood dishes, including seafood rice bowls, sushi, sashimi, grilled seafood, and ramen. These dishes make it easy to enjoy the flavors of the ocean without visiting multiple restaurants.
One particularly popular choice is a seafood rice bowl topped with ingredients such as tuna, salmon, salmon roe, sea bream, and shrimp. The colorful presentation makes it both delicious and visually appealing.
Visitors can also enjoy a seafood barbecue using seafood purchased inside the market. Grilling lobster, shellfish, and other fresh ingredients over a charcoal grill is a memorable way to experience Wakayama’s abundant seafood.
Discover Wakayama Souvenirs
The souvenir section offers a wide variety of products associated with Wakayama, including Kishu umeboshi pickled plums, mandarin-orange products, processed seafood, local sake, and the famous confectionery known as Kagero.
Kagero is a popular Shirahama sweet made with a light, fluffy pastry filled with cream. It is a favorite souvenir among visitors. The umeboshi section is also worth exploring, as visitors can often sample different varieties before choosing their favorite.
From traditional umeboshi made with salt, which have a strong sour and salty flavor, to milder varieties sweetened with honey, there are many choices. Trying these products is a great way to discover an important part of Wakayama’s food culture.
Relax at Shirahama Onsen Toretore-no-Yu
A Day-Use Hot Spring with Many Types of Baths
Near Toretore Market is Shirahama Onsen Toretore-no-Yu, a popular day-use hot spring facility. Using natural hot spring water from the famous Shirahama Onsen area, it provides a relaxing place to unwind after sightseeing and shopping.
The outdoor baths offer a spacious atmosphere where visitors can enjoy views toward the Pacific Ocean. Various bathing areas, including pottery baths, reclining baths, rock baths, and charcoal baths, allow guests to enjoy different bathing experiences in one facility.
Relaxation, Sauna, and Stone Spa Experiences
Toretore-no-Yu also features Sokanbo, a Korean-style heated stone spa experience similar to a jjimjilbang. Several rooms, including a salt-rock room and low-temperature stone spa areas, provide opportunities to warm up and relax.
The facility also offers saunas, cold baths, body treatments, beauty treatments, and exfoliation services. After bathing, visitors can relax in the lounge area or enjoy Japanese cuisine and seafood at the dining facilities.
Stay in the Unique Toretore Village
A Village of Whimsical Dome-Shaped Houses
One of the most distinctive accommodations at Toretore Park is Toretore Village. White dome-shaped buildings are arranged across a hill, creating a landscape that looks almost like an unusual overseas resort or a scene from a science-fiction movie.
The dome houses are constructed using expanded polystyrene and are designed to provide strength, insulation, and earthquake resistance. Their unusual appearance also makes them a popular location for photographs.
A Fun Accommodation for Families
Guest rooms are available in different styles, including Japanese-style and Western-style rooms, with each room featuring its own design and atmosphere. The variety means that even repeat visitors can enjoy a different experience each time.
The accommodation area is divided into the Fairy Tale Zone and the Fantastic Zone. Non-smoking rooms and selected rooms where guests can stay with pets are also available.
At night, the dome houses are illuminated, creating a particularly magical atmosphere. Staying here provides an opportunity to step away from everyday life and enjoy a memorable resort experience.
Panda Village: A Favorite for Panda Fans
Shirahama is well known for its pandas, and Toretore Park offers another panda-themed accommodation experience called Panda Village.
The dome-shaped cottages feature different panda faces on their exteriors. Each cottage has its own unique design, so visitors can enjoy discovering a different panda-themed building during every stay.
The interiors are also individually designed, making Panda Village especially popular with families traveling with young children. The grounds include a playground and an observation area, providing children with plenty of space to play and explore.
Enjoy Fishing at Katata Fishing Pond
Easy Fishing for Beginners and Families
Another attraction near Toretore Park is Katata Fishing Pond, a large marine fishing facility built over the sea. Visitors fish inside large netted ponds stocked with various types of fish, making it possible to enjoy the excitement of fishing without needing advanced experience.
Fishing equipment can be rented, so visitors do not need to bring their own gear. Depending on the fishing area and plan, guests can catch smaller fish such as horse mackerel and sea bream, as well as larger fish such as amberjack.
Enjoy the Fish You Catch
Fish caught at the facility can be taken home. Visitors can also have their catch professionally prepared for an additional fee at Toretore Market.
Eating a fish that you personally caught is a particularly memorable experience. With the sea breeze around you and the ocean stretching into the distance, fishing here offers a relaxing way to experience another side of Shirahama.
A Complete Resort for Enjoying Shirahama
Toretore Park brings together many of Shirahama’s attractions in one convenient destination, including a large seafood market, hot springs, distinctive accommodations, fishing experiences, restaurants, and souvenir shops.
Enjoying freshly caught seafood, relaxing in a natural hot spring, and staying in a unique dome-shaped accommodation provide a memorable way to experience the character of Nanki-Shirahama.
Although Toretore Park is suitable for a day trip, staying overnight allows visitors to take their time and enjoy the facilities from morning until evening. Families, couples, friends, and groups can all find something to enjoy here.
When visiting Shirahama, be sure to include Toretore Park in your itinerary and experience a resort destination where the sea, food, hot springs, entertainment, and relaxation come together in one place.