That is mental.
How many chicken legs are in there?
I think there genuinely might be a thousand chicken wings in that one bowl.
People want this in the morning.
7am.
Fried chicken.
This is the future.
How do you like it?
This is the future of breakfast.
The future of breakfast?
I’m telling you!
This is much better than KFC.
So today we’re on our way to Hachinohe in Aomori to visit the biggest morning market
in all of Japan.
It’s got 350 stalls and it’s supposed to have just an amazing atmosphere.
I’m joined by Ryotaro and as per usual I don’t really know what we’re doing now
right now.
What are we doing?
Tonight we are actually staying at this Ryokan right - a traditional Japanese inn - with
lots of festivals actually happening in side.
Seeing as we’re getting up at silly o’clock tomorrow morning, we decide to stay nearby
at the local Hoshino Resort Aomoriya, a traditionally themed Japanese inn bursting with character.
And you know it’s going to be good, from the moment you meet your baggage handler in,
the resorts car park.
Oh wow.
I’m loving the hat.
He’s wearing the festival hat.
So for two hours everyday this pony will take your luggage from the car into the hotel.
He only has to work every second day.
Every other day this pony gets the job done.
The resort feels like a cross between a hotel and an amusement park - an amusement park
filled with apples.
Not surprising given Aomori region is Japan’s biggest producer of apples.
Come and look at this.
It’s going to come out here.
It’s a real apple isn't it.
I forget that we’re in a hotel or ryokan as it’s so damn big.
It’s more like being in a shopping centre or something.
Here we’ve got apples on tap, then you’ve got apple toys, a shop and then over there
you can actually catch real live scallops.
It’s not just apples that are the symbol of Aomori prefecture.
Gigantic, colourful and somewhat terrifying papier-mâché dolls called Neputa can be
found through the resort, with famous characters and warriors re-enacting scenes out of Japanese
folklore.
This looks like it’s come straight out of a child’s nightmare.
It’s supposed to be Genghis Khan vanquishing some kind of beat who’s half monkey, half
lion, half fuck knows.
But it’s terrifying. I dread to think how long it took to make.
Imagine if he knocked it and brought the whole thing down.
But it's in the evening during dinner when the resort comes alive with music
and performances from local festivals.
And when a big float gets waved infront of you and you sit there awkwardly not knowing how to respond.
And best of all there’s even a chance for you to witness your favourite musical instrument being played.
That’s right - the shovel.
Being played by local shovel champions.
And no I’m not making this up.
So that’s what the shovel sounds like.
Yes few things beat the sounds of the spade being played before bed time.
So it’s 6:42 in the morning but you wouldn’t know it, as it’s so damn busy this market!
But I can’t yet pronounce the name of the market.
What is it?
That’s the name of the market.
So apparently there about 350 shops on this street.
And this is open every Sunday and every Sunday there are about 10 to 20,000 people.
The market is nothing short of a culinary wonderland, and it wasn’t long before my
appetite got the better of me and tempted me into my first - and somewhat unconventional
- dish of the day.
This is surely the greatest breakfast of all.
This is grilled chicken, yakitori.
Ah fuck yeah.
This is my favourite dish in Japan.
But you don’t usually have it at 7 in the morning.
This is the first time I’ve had in the morning.
But it works, it’s fine.
The sound of the chicken sizzling and then watching it being marinated I love it.
The ultimate breakfast.
So my first dish of the day was Yakitori - grilled chicken.
Second dish of the day, fried Calamari.
And the batter is tempura, but it tastes a lot like British Fish and Chips.
I can’t eat elegantly this time in the morning.
Sorry.
You never do though.
No I never do though.
If you walk around the market for a few minutes, you’ll probably spot a not so subtle character
strolling around.
It turns out the market even has it’s own premium mascot.
This character is not certified.
What do you mean not certified?
Some characters are certified by the city, the city or prefecture, but he’s not certified.
It’s too early to talk to a person in a big squid suit - whilst eating squid.
There you go.
A business card of the uncertified squid character.
It’s got his address there!
Ah, there’s his address.
This says Jusho which means address and it just says sea.
See, uncertified mascots are always best.
You get a free giant business card.
Even the appearances of the stalls were just as unique and diverse as the produce and goods
themselves.
This like a grilled fish shop.
15 kinds of fish that he’s grilling.
15 kinds of fish!
Grilling in the back of his little truck.
I love the way he’s got this truck, he’s got a big grill in the back of it and he’s
just stuck a tent over it and that is his shop.
It looks really cool doesn’t it?
Yeah it looks really cool.
A mobile fish shop.
A mobile grilling shop!
Seriously I’m always amazed by the kinds of seafood Japanese people are able to eat.
In terms of diversity there’s some really unpleasant stuff.
Squid mouth?
Squid mouth!
Squid mouth - that’s not something you want to see this time of morning.
It actually sounds like some sort of Indy rock band - Squid mouth.
Some sort of trendy Indy rock band - who clearly need to put more thought into the name of
their band.
This place this is like a fried chicken place.
What’s happened is that since this is the most popular shop in the whole market, look
how many fryers they’ve got over here.
9 fryers and they’re simultaneously frying something.
This is how popular it is.
There’s a giant bowl in there, absolutely filled to the top with chicken wings.
I don’t know how many there are.
Maybe a thousand.
I genuinely think there might be a thousand chicken wings in that one bowl.
People want this in the morning.
7am.
Fried chicken.
And you’re eating it.
This is the future.
How do you like?
This is the future of breakfast.
I’m telling you.
This is much better than KFC.
It’s even better than Family Mart fried chicken.
And that’s saying something.
They’re bloody selling a car here.
They’re bloody selling a car here!
Look at that.
For 5 man - for $500 you can be become the proud owner of a Mitsubishi…rubbish.
I don’t know what model it is.
Mitsubishi mini car.
Why don’t you get it?
You’ve always wanted to buy a car at a fish market.
I’ve got a really big car, it’s ok.
Bigger than this.
My car’s bigger than the Mitsubishi.
You know what.
This will fit you.
This will suit you.
It doesn’t suit my style.
But this is completely your style.
My car’s bigger than this.
I thought this car has always been your style though.
So give us a run down on what you’ve eaten for breakfast this morning.
I’ll try to remember.
We’ve eaten so much.
We ate we tried deep fried something.
Deep fried something.
No - it was grilled chicken to start with.
And then deep fried calamari.
And then we went for deep fried mackerel.
And then deep fried chicken wings after that.
And then, what did we have?
I don’t know.
Just deep fried everything.
And so now I think we should try something that’s not deep fried.
Nah.
Ramen.
Ah!
What do you think?
To top off Ryotaro’s ridiculous breakfast comprised off a staggering amount of fried
food, he’s now also got a mini ramen, complete with an egg.
You not full?
No.
Clearly not.
Something about this market being next to the sea just makes everything better.
I think it’s because with one breathe you can smell the sea air, fried fish and fried
chicken.
Just fried everything really.
Everything is fried at this market.
If you want to stuff your face with nearly every Japanese dish there is, all in one morning,
the Tatehana morning market is a bloody good place to start.
And given that the market has only been running a few years - its still something of a well
kept secret, despite it’s huge size.
The market runs every Sunday morning from March to December and for information and
directions on how to find, you can find the details in the description box below.
Many thanks for watching guys, I’ll see you next time.
It's one of the coolest market I've been to.
I feel pretty nostalgic. I used to go to the market every Sunday in U.K.
But there isn't much resemblance to a British market here.
In terms food and produces. It's whole different ball game.
I've got to stop using the phrase, "ball game".
I hate it.
Why I keep saying ball game?
More fried food.