A M7.1 Earthquake Hit Kumamoto, Kyushu, Yesterday
At 4:27 pm JST on July 28, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region of Kyushu, at a shallow depth of about 10 km, registering the maximum seismic intensity of 7 in parts of Kumamoto (source: Japan Meteorological Agency). Two smaller earthquakes, magnitude 3.7 and 4.2, hit the Satsuma region of Kagoshima earlier the same day, ahead of the larger Kumamoto quake.
Nobeoka, Miyazaki — home to Mitsui Suisan, the specialist who saku-cuts our Bluefin Tuna — recorded a seismic intensity of 5-lower (震度5弱). As of 9:20 pm local time last night, Nobeoka's mayor reported no building collapses in the city (source). Satsuma Sendai, Kagoshima — where our Sasshu Salmon is raised — recorded a seismic intensity of 5-upper (震度5強); we have not seen reports of severe damage there. Nagasaki, home to Hosei Suisan and our Goto Islands bluefin farm, was less affected.
Our hearts are with everyone in Kyushu affected by this earthquake.
What This Means for Our Supply Chain
Right now our main concern is logistics, not product safety. Yatsushiro, close to the Kumamoto epicenter, is a major chokepoint for cargo moving through the region — and even shipments that don't route directly through Yatsushiro could see delays if traffic concentrates onto alternate roads. We're in direct contact with our processors in Nobeoka and Satsuma Sendai and are monitoring the situation closely. We'll share an update here if this week's or next week's shipment schedule is affected.
Willamette Valley — Bluefin Meets Pinot Noir
Keita is flying to Oregon on July 30–31 to visit our winemaker partners in the Willamette Valley, bringing bluefin along for a pairing dinner. He'll be staying in Amity, in the Eola-Amity Hills, where the Van Duzer Corridor lets Pacific wind through from the coast — the same ocean our bluefin swims in, arriving at the same hillsides where our wine partners grow their Pinot Noir. No delivery those two days — ask Rice Market staff on the lower level to pull what you need from the case.
Okushiri Murasaki Uni & Scallops — Saturday
The Okushiri Island Murasaki Uni we brought in a couple of weeks ago sold out quickly. We found more of the same Ensui-style uni from Okushiri in the market and are bringing it back — arriving Saturday alongside a fresh batch of Hokkaido Scallops.
Snow Crane's Residency Wraps at Little Pearl
Snow Crane just closed out their six-week ice cream residency at Little Pearl on Capitol Hill, serving hundreds of guests a day with a different set of flavors nearly every week. Their message on wrapping up: "This isn't goodbye. It's see you soon." We're already looking forward to tasting whatever they bring next.
Upcoming Events
Our next Knife Sharpening and Sashimi Slicing Class is August 9 — tickets here. And on August 14, Rice Taste Kitchen hosts a Wine and Fish Pairing Dinner — tickets via TicketLeap.
This Week's Lineup
Bluefin Tuna from Goto Islands, Nagasaki; Sasshu Salmon from Kagoshima; Hokkaido Uni (Okushiri Murasaki arriving Saturday); Hokkaido Scallops (arriving Saturday); Unagi Kabayaki; Fresh Wasabi. No delivery July 30–31 while Keita is in Oregon — ask Rice Market staff for fish those days.