Kyushu

The southernmost of Japan's four main islands and a region with its own distinct fishing identity, separate from the tuna-dominated culture of Shizuoka or the crab fisheries of Hokkaido. Kyushu is the primary source of Japanese horse mackerel (aji), and the most prized variety, seki aji, is caught in the narrows of the Bungo Channel off the eastern Kyushu coast, where strong currents produce firm, fat-rich fish. Makurazaki, in Kagoshima Prefecture at the island's southern tip, is Japan's most celebrated katsuobushi production town: the dried, fermented skipjack tuna that underpins dashi and the flavour base of Japanese cuisine. Matoba Suisan has operated in Makurazaki since 1956, producing hand-crafted karebushi for the country's most discerning restaurants. The region also produces mackerel in soy and miso preparations and maintains a canning tradition that predates the European conservas influence.