A taste of the Pacific, grilled over charcoal [Travel ON]

The scent of the sea grows stronger as you enter Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture, where Pacific winds sweep in from the coast. Touched by cold northern currents, Hachinohe serves as the gateway to the eastern waters of Aomori and is a port city renowned for its abundant catches.

The city's large fish market, Hasshoку Center, is the hub where seafood hauled in from the docks in the early morning converges. Past the supermarket section, dozens of stalls line a long corridor, packed with fresh seasonal horsehair crabs, fish and shellfish, buzzing with energy.

Venture deeper inside and Shichirin-mura, a tabletop grill space, emerges through a haze of savory charcoal smoke.

Shichirin-mura is a different experience from an ordinary restaurant where food arrives ready to eat. Pay a usage fee at the counter and staff will seat you at a traditional Japanese clay charcoal brazier — a shichirin — and hand you a wire grill, tongs and scissors. From there, you grab a basket, head back out to the market stalls you just passed and pick out whatever ingredients catch your eye.

Vendors lay out the day's cleaned scallops, abalone and shrimp in neat single-serving portions for visitors. Browsing the stalls — whole scallops, skewers of grillable seafood, well-marbled beef — is a pleasure in itself. With no complicated preparation or long waits, you can place freshly chosen ingredients straight onto the charcoal, and tending the flame and grilling at your own pace becomes a genuinely enjoyable culinary experience.

A good approach is to start with mild shellfish on the grill before moving on to richer meats. Lay a large scallop on the heated wire rack and it lands with a satisfying crack, sending up a plume of white steam.

When the seawater inside the shell begins to bubble, pry off a piece of the flesh and pop it in your mouth — the fresh, seasonal flavor fills the palate. There are no Korean-style ssam vegetables or spicy dipping sauce, but the natural umami and sweetness of the seafood need no seasoning at all. For anyone looking to enjoy a feast of fresh seafood in Japan while trying something different with a charcoal grill, this place is an easy recommendation.