Salmon

さけ

A fish that heralds autumn in northern Japan. Versatile — salt-grilled, meunière, foil-baked, or in hotpot — and a staple onigiri filling. Wild chum salmon (aki-zake) returning to rivers in September-November centers on Hokkaido (~75%), while Miyagi leads Japan in farmed coho salmon (~23%); these two prefectures account for 90%+ of domestic supply

Taste & Texture

Pale orange flesh with refined fat and umami. Salt-grilling brings out aromatic flavor, and meunière accentuates richness. September-November autumn salmon (returning to spawn) has firmer flesh with moderate fat

Season

MONTHLY AVAILABILITY

Sep - Nov

PEAK

※ Season is based on domestic field-grown availability

How to Choose

  • Choose fillets with vivid pink-to-orange color and minimal liquid seepage.

  • Avoid pieces that are pale or watery.

  • Skin-on cuts should have taut, firm skin.

How to Store

  • Pat fillets dry with paper towels, wrap individually in plastic wrap, and store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

  • For longer storage, freeze for up to 1 month.

Shelf life 2-3 days refrigerated; up to 1 month frozen

Nutrition Facts

Monthly Supply Volume

Supply Peak

Peak Month 10 28,443t
Annual Inflow 216,107 t
Inflow (t)
In season

Source: MAFF Seafood Distribution Survey (monthly cold-storage inflow) (2024). Monthly cold-storage inflow — used as a supply-signal proxy when national monthly wholesale prices are not published.

Retail Price

Price Trend

Cheapest Aug ¥494/100g
Most Expensive Mar ¥538/100g

Annual Average

¥513/100g

Source: Statistics Bureau Retail Price Survey (2026)

Top Landing Prefectures

Hokkaido99.2%
Aomori0.3%
Iwate0.2%
Akita0.1%
Yamagata0.1%
Others0.1%
10%+
5%+
2%+
0.1%+
None

Map data: National Land Numerical Information (MLIT Japan)

#
Prefecture
Production (t)
Share
1
59,674
99.2%
2
198
0.3%
3
93
0.2%
4
79
0.1%
5
48
0.1%

Source: MAFF Marine Fisheries Production Statistics (wild catch) (2023)

Top 5 Prefecture Production Trends (2018-2023)

Hokkaido
Aomori
Iwate
Akita
Yamagata

Consumption Ranking

National Average (annual spending per household)

¥5,005 /year
#
City
Annual Spending
1
Sapporo Hokkaido
¥7,952
2
Niigata Niigata
¥6,856
3
Aomori Aomori
¥6,680
4
Toyama Toyama
¥6,109
5
Saitama Saitama
¥5,928

Source: Statistics Bureau Family Income and Expenditure Survey (2024, two-or-more-person households, prefectural capital cities)