Kuromon Ichiba Market Osaka Food Culture Icon

I was just about to press the click button when the owner of a trinket shop Kuromon Ichiba market, Osaka, thundered out to shoo me away. “No!” she said, waggling her finger at me before pointing at a small sticker featuring no photography sign. I felt bad. Firstly, because I really didn’t see the warning sign. Also, being scolded by a stereotypical polite Japanese was not on my Japan trip itinerary. Lastly, I didn’t even know how to explain to her that I didn’t see it in the first place. So instead, I muttered “Gomennasai” with a slight bow and continued walking to catch up with Fafa, who had walked on without noticing the incident.

Kuromon Ichiba Market

The home of more than 150 shops, the Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka might not be as famous as the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo or Nishiki Market in Kyoto. Even as a tourist attraction in Osaka, it has been outshined by Dotonburi, Shinsaibashi and Universal Studio. But, dubbed Osaka’s kitchen, the 170 years old market has been well-established as one of Japan’s cultural icons.

Food Culture in the Instagram Era

It’s easy to spot what’s so great about the Kuromon Ichiba: its food culture.

There is an extensive freshly cooked seafood collection you can munch on while roaming the market and not taking pictures. Because after the incident above, I kept spotting the same sign almost everywhere, no photography, including taking photos of the food. Alive or dead.

I wonder why don’t they allow people to take any pictures. Is it because instead of buying, people take pictures and leave? But doesn’t more pictures on Instagram mean exposure to the market, which will attract more people to visit, eat and shop?

Seafood, Sake, and Soft Served Ice Cream

I digress, back to eating.

Fafa and I made plenty of stops along the market lane to try different kinds of seafood, from barbequed butter crab to chilli-peppered squid. In between, I also indulged in my day-drinking habit (hey, we were on vacation) with the delicious Sakura-flavoured sake.

If on the day you visit Kuromon Ichiba market, your stomach only has room for one thing, head down to the end (or the entrance, depending on where you come from) and treat yourself to the best soft-served ice cream in the world. Served inside a sweet melon, the ice cream is made without non-dairy fat, oil or flavouring. It only contains natural milk fat. It tasted glorious. Fafa and I shared three, even though we were already full of fresh seafood.

Souvenir from the market

Other than the Daruma doll that I got scolded for taking pictures of, I didn’t have many trinkets to get from Kuromon Ichiba as a souvenir from Japan. Unless you plan to smuggle fresh seafood into your carry-on (some looked like they were worth the risk).

Though the Kuromon Ichiba market caters more to the locals (no photography signs and lots of fresh produce), do pay it a visit for an ultimate Osaka cultural experience.

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