Located about 10 minutes by subway from Nakajima Koen Station, the closest station to HOTEL RESOL SAPPORO NAKAJIMAKOUEN, the area around Kita 24-jo Station is a hub of local life. With a university located near the station, the area is known as a student town, with many traditional restaurants and shops still remaining.

Among these various stores, you'll find Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop Kita 24jo Main Branch. This shop has two faces: a fish shop where you can purchase fresh seafood and side dishes from Hokkaido, and a seafood izakaya. This space, where you can enjoy fish to your heart's content from day to night, is frequented by locals and tourists alike.

As you step through the noren curtain of Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop, the soft scent of the sea tickles your nose. Fresh seafood such as scallops, shrimp, and mackerel are lined up in the glass case, and next to them is a corner selling prepared seafood dishes such as simmered squid and chanja.

The restaurant has a homey atmosphere, with the staff's bright, lively smiles and cheerful "Welcome!" voices ringing out. We were greeted by Matsubara Takahiro, director of Rough Dining Co., Ltd., which operates the restaurant, and Nagao Suguru, manager of Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop Kita 24jo Main Branch.

When I returned to my roots, I thought of the sea of Hokkaido.

Rough Dining Co., Ltd. is a company that operates a variety of restaurants in Sapporo, including Minatomachi Sakaba Monkichi Shoten and Direct from the Farm Bistro SACHI.

While running a restaurant, founder Otsubo Yuki had the idea of running a business that could handle everything from purchasing to sales in-house.

Otsubo's family owns a fishing tackle shop, and he grew up close to fishermen and the sea from a young age. This formative experience, along with living in Hokkaido, which is surrounded by the sea, led him to take on the challenge of running his own fish restaurant.

From purchasing to sales. What can be achieved through a "one-stop" business?

The ingredients used in Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop's specialty seafood bowl, as well as the side dishes and fish on display in the store, change daily in order to deliver the most delicious seafood to customers that day.

"We also place great importance on how to bring high-quality fish that can only be procured here, and fish that would otherwise be thrown away, to the dinner table. For example, all of our employees come up with recipes that use the skin that would otherwise be thrown away," says store manager Nagao.

They do everything in-house, from purchasing to sales, so they take advantage of the strengths they have and value giving back to their customers.

A jewel-like seafood bowl and specially selected soy sauce

The seafood bowl is synonymous with Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop. The most popular dish is the Today's Specialty Fresh Fish Bowl with 12 Kinds of Seafood, which is topped with a generous amount of large seafood.

They are also particular about where they source their seafood, primarily from within Hokkaido. Among them, they source from fishermen who have a strong desire and commitment to "improving Hokkaido's oceans and fishing industry."

The fresh, thick seafood sparkles like jewels, and two different types of soy sauce are placed on the table.

For light fish such as white meat, try "Sashimi Soy Sauce Refreshing," which allows you to enjoy the umami of kelp. For rich fish such as red meat, try "Sashimi Soy Sauce Noukou," which allows you to enjoy the sweetness and richness.

In order to allow customers to enjoy each and every piece of seafood, the original products developed in-house show the company's commitment to "bringing out the best in the ingredients."

"The seafood bowl is merely one of the ways we get our name out to more people. It has gotten so much attention, but what we really want to convey most is that we are a restaurant run by a fishmonger. Because we are a fishmonger, we believe we can offer prices and flavors that will satisfy our customers," says Matsubara.

It's all about providing our customers with delicious fish to fill their stomachs. We can only provide this quality thanks to the relationships of trust we have built with the fishermen since our founding.

Aiming to be a store where both customers and staff can smile

"When I was a university student, I often went to the izakaya run by the CEO, Otsubo. Above all, the people working there were very lively," recalls Matsubara. He was attracted to the "space where customers and staff shine with smiles" and that's what led him to join the company, and he has since built Laugh Dining together with Otsubo.

To make the restaurant one that customers will want to come back to, it is important to create a homey atmosphere where the staff are always cheerful and greet customers with a smile.

"In fact, all of the staff nameplates are handwritten by Otsubo," says Matsubara. It's a touching idea that comes from treating each and every staff member like family.

Shihachi Fresh Fish Shop treasures these connections with people and continues to deliver high-quality fish to everyday life, and many people still visit the shop today.

---

シハチ鮮魚店 北24条本店
電話：011-729-0066
住所：北海道札幌市北24条西2丁目1-13 ベアーズ24 1階
アクセス：札幌市営地下鉄南北線「北24条駅」下車 徒歩3分
HP：https://laughgroup.jp/shop/shihachi-kita24/
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/shihachi.sapporo/
＊営業時間や定休日についての詳細は、上記のリンク先からご確認ください。