🍚 Clam Rice

The Kashima-nada Sea, which stretches from Oarai Cape in Ibaraki Prefecture to Inubosaki in Chiba Prefecture, is blessed with an abundance of seafood due to the tidal convergence of the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents. In the sandy coastal areas of Kashima-nada, large clams can be caught in spring before they release their eggs. Clam exceeding 10 cm are sometimes caught and sold at high prices in the market under the name of “Kashima-nada Clams.” Officially called “Chosen Hamaguri (Korean Clams)” in Japanese, the clams have been branded as “Kashima-nada Clams” through prefectural-wide efforts since 1995 as they could easily be mistaken for an imported product if sold under this name. Today, most of the clams available in Japan are imported, with domestically produced clams accounting for only 10% of total production, making them a rare commodity, more than half of which are caught in the Kashima-nada Sea. In order to preserve the rare “Kashima-nada Clams,” the three fishing cooperatives of Oarai-cho, Kashima-nada, and Hasaki have been working to preserve the clams through strict management, including rotational fishing. Although clams are now rare, they were once a familiar delicacy in Ibaraki Prefecture, as they were often caught in the coastal areas of Oarai and Rokko. Freshly caught clams have been enjoyed in a variety of ways, from raw or grilled, to an ingredient in miso soup or steamed. Clam rice is another classic clam dish that is often eaten in Japanese households.