Typhoon Shanshan — Impact on This Week's Fish
Typhoon Shanshan moved erratically and slowly across Japan last week, with an unusual track that kept it over land for an extended period and caused widespread disruption to fishing and aquaculture operations across Kyushu and parts of western Japan. The effect on our inventory this week is real: we have a narrower selection than usual, and we apologize for that.
No Yellowtail this week — the severe red tide conditions that have persisted through August, compounded by the typhoon's disruption to harvest logistics, have suspended those catches entirely. We expect to return to Yellowtail in September when both the red tide and post-typhoon conditions normalize.
This Week's Bluefin — More Akami, Less Otoro
The Nagasaki Bluefin is available this week, though the fish reflects the summer conditions: more Akami lean meat, with the Otoro and Chutoro sections carrying somewhat less fat than the winter fish. The quality of the Akami is strong — intense, clean, iron-rich. The Otoro is genuine Otoro, not thin-trimmed belly, but the marbling depth is less than peak.
We are still temporarily sourcing from our backup Goto Islands farm while our primary supplier, Hosei Suisan, recovers from the red tide conditions that affected their area. We return to our regular Hosei Suisan fish for September — they are the farm that won the top prize at the Nagasaki Prefecture Farmed Bluefin competition, and the quality difference between the two is noticeable. September onward is when the fish gets interesting again.
San-J Open House — September 15, Richmond VA
We will be participating in the annual factory open house at San-J in Richmond, Virginia on September 15th. San-J is one of the oldest Tamari soy sauce producers in Japan — their Richmond facility is the only one outside Japan. The open house is a genuine behind-the-scenes opportunity: you can tour the brewery, taste directly from the production line, and see how centuries-old fermentation technique operates at scale.
We will be there with our fish, pairing sashimi with San-J Tamari. If you are within range of Richmond, it is worth the trip.
Wine & Fish Pairing Event — September 29
We are planning a public wine and fresh fish pairing event at Rice Market DC on September 29th. The premise is simple but underexplored: white wine is not always the answer for seafood, and the right red or orange wine with the right fish cut can be a revelation. We'll explore that together. Details will be announced by Rice Market shortly.
On typhoon seasons: August and September bring the highest frequency of typhoons affecting Kyushu and western Japan. Supply disruptions of one to two weeks are a realistic part of operating an import business during this period. We communicate each disruption as it happens rather than obscuring it — this is what honest sourcing looks like in practice.