They carefully process local fish into sashimi and sell them at markets and through trading companies. On the Sea of Japan side, there are many seasonal storms and the number of fish is not stable. We asked Mr. Sugawara, the managing director, how he manages his processing business in such an environment.

 

The amount of fish landed in April, May, and June is relatively high, but the price of fish declines. That is the time for us to make sure we have a good product. Conversely, in July and August, landings decrease and prices increase. That is why our frozen products do well. Most of our products are sold through markets and trading companies, but our products are also delivered to supermarkets and major fish stores. There are very few places on the Sea of Japan side that do the kind of processing that we do. Also, we regularly inform our customers of our inventory status, so we often see a significant amount of frozen commercial products go out with a bang, especially during the Obon season.”

 

He adds, “We make frozen products when fish prices are low and put them out when fish prices are high, so we can sell them throughout the year. Recently, they have expanded their sales to a fisheries company in Sendai and a co-op in the Kansai region. I hear that some fishmongers rely on Sugawara Shoten’s frozen products when the fish market is in a slump. Our strength is that we are close to the beach and can process fish immediately after they are caught. We want to deliver the fish to our customers as close to fresh as possible.”

 

At Sugawara Shoten, all work is done by hand, with skilled craftsmen working diligently and meticulously every day to produce reliable products. Frozen sleep” has been chosen by such a company to play an active role.