Toretore Market Nanki-Shirahama
A seafood market run by the local fishery cooperative, one of western Japan's largest.
piggybackjapan.com
Toretore Market Nanki-Shirahama
SaveA seafood market run by the local fishery cooperative, one of western Japan's largest.
Seafood bought inside the hall can be grilled right away at the outdoor barbecue area.
MoreWhat kind of place
The Katata fishery cooperative runs this market directly, without a company in between, and bills it as one of the largest seafood markets in western Japan.
Fish comes in daily from local boats and from around the country, into a hall with live tanks and a corner given over to Hokkaido.
The market sits inside Toretore Park in Shirahama, where eating, lodging, shopping, play and a hot spring share one set of grounds. The barbecue area there reopened as a two-story building in March 2024.
Sources and evidence (12)
- It calls itself one of the largest seafood markets in western Japan, a place to eat fresh fish from all over the country on the spot, buy Wakayama souvenirs, and grill seafood yourself.source
- The market section takes in fresh fish daily from local boats and from around Japan, and has tuna cutting, a Hokkaido corner, and fish swimming in tanks.source
- It is run directly by the Katata fishery cooperative society, not by a company.source
- Toretore Park is a resort complex in Shirahama built around the seafood market, with eating, lodging, shopping, play, and a hot spring all on the same grounds.source
- Bags are not held for visitors; there are paid coin lockers inside that take items up to 50 cm high, 30 cm wide, and 40 cm deep, roughly 20 by 12 by 16 inches, and they can be used only during market hours.source
- The seafood barbecue area is the one part with a step, so speak to a staff member when you go to use it.source
- There is a Japan Post Bank ATM area at the main entrance.source
- You can send what you buy, or your travel luggage, by Yamato takkyubin, and anything that has to stay cold can go by refrigerated delivery.source
- Toretore Yokocho is split into four corners: rice bowls and noodles, sashimi and prepared dishes, sushi, and grilled seafood, the last of which is open only on weekends and holidays.source
- The specialty at the Ajidokoro counter is bonito seared over burning straw.source
- Because the barbecue area is outdoors, it can close for the day in strong wind or heavy rain.source
- The barbecue area reopened as a two-story building on March 16, 2024.source
With kidsThe part that matters
Take your barbecue seat at the entrance first and shop for your seafood afterward, since only what you buy in the market hall may go on the grill, and a party that brings food in from outside is asked to leave with no refund.
A seat is 1,000 yen for an adult, 700 yen for a child and 300 yen for little ones from age 3, drink bar included, and you get 90 minutes at the grill plus 15 for the shopping.
The grills burn open fire, so keep a young child right beside you, and the seats are outdoors, so strong wind or heavy rain can shut the area for the day; when it does, Toretore Yokocho, the market's own eating area, is still serving.
A whole tuna is cut up in the hall in the busy stretch between about 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., but not every day and never at a time the staff will name in advance, so treat it as luck rather than a plan.
If fish is a hard sell, the pizza counter here bills its thick-cut bacon and sweet corn pizza as the favorite with children.
Sources and evidence (4)
- The Bambino at Pizza San Marco is a white sauce pizza with thick-cut bacon and sweet corn, described as a favorite with children.source
- Sign up at the barbecue desk, then 15 minutes to buy food. Toddler rides by the toilets, a free taxi phone at the doors.source
- On Sunday the queues are long and a seat is harder to win than food. Bowls run 1,300-2,000 yen. A tuna was cut up.source
- Three flights a day from Haneda, an hour, then a 10-minute taxi. Barbecue 1,000 yen adult, 700 child, 300 from age 3.source
By age0-1 / 2-3 / 4-6
- Ages 0-1Fresh fish from the area and from all over Japan comes in daily, and there are tanks with fish swimming in them. While you pick out your food, the baby can peer into the tanks from your arms. The market hall is indoors, so the weather outside does not change the visit.The only step is at the outdoor seafood barbecue area; the two staircases inside the hall have ramps, and you tell the staff when you want to use the barbecue. There is no bag check, and the coin lockers take items up to 50 cm high, 30 cm wide and 40 cm deep, usable only during market hours. Outside business hours neither the car park nor the restrooms can be used. Barbecue seat charges are 1,000 yen for adults, 700 yen for children and 300 yen for toddlers aged three and over; no figure is listed for under-threes.
- Ages 2-3The amusement corner is full of capsule-toy machines and claw cranes. At Ki to Mizu to Tsuchi to, the Shirahama-only panda pancake is handmade with a panda drawn in whipped cream, and at Pizza San Marco the Bambino, thick-cut bacon and sweetcorn on white sauce, is described as a favorite with children.The barbecue tables use open fire, so families with children are asked not to look away and to keep them from leaning over the railings. It is an outdoor facility, so it may close temporarily in strong wind or heavy rain. Your slot is 90 minutes, plus 15 minutes for shopping, up to 105 minutes in all. Pets cannot enter the market or the barbecue area; guide dogs and service dogs may.
- Ages 4-6You can watch a tuna being broken down, once or twice on weekdays and two or three times on weekends and holidays, around 11:00 to 13:00 when the hall is busiest. For the barbecue you check in at the entrance and take a table first, then choose and buy your own seafood inside the market and grill it yourself outside. The barbecue area reopened as a two-story building in March 2024.The tuna cutting is not on a fixed schedule and the market declines advance enquiries, so if you want to see it, be inside the hall between about 11:00 and 13:00. At the barbecue you may not bring in food or drink sourced anywhere other than Toretore Market; if found you are asked to leave with no refund, and seasonings are sold at the barbecue itself. Set-menu reservations close at 17:00 four days before, and you cannot reserve a table alone. Last entry is about 16:30 on weekdays and about 17:00 on weekends and holidays. Photography intended for posting on social media is not allowed.
By weatherRain, heat, cold
- Rainy dayThe market hall where you buy the fish and the Toretore Yokocho eating stalls are all indoors. Only the barbecue area is outside, and it can close on days of strong wind or heavy rain.
- Hot dayNot checked yet
- Cold dayNot checked yet
Time needed2 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
- ElevatorElevator：not checked
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：not checked
- RentalStroller rental：not checked
- NursingNursing space：not checked
- ChangingDiaper changing table：not checked
- Family WCFamily restroom：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：none
- EnglishEnglish support：not checked
* Other not checked (8)
Diaper disposal bin, Kids' toilet seat & step stool, Child switch (rider swap), Official family-friendly certification, Best-fit ages (guide), Crowding (guide), Quietness (guide), Lost-child support
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Sign up at the barbecue desk, then 15 minutes to buy food. Toddler rides by the toilets, a free taxi phone at the doors.
Toretore Market with kids: one day is not enough (Wakayama)
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
On Sunday the queues are long and a seat is harder to win than food. Bowls run 1,300-2,000 yen. A tuna was cut up.
Wakayama with the kids (4): Toretore Market
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Three flights a day from Haneda, an hour, then a 10-minute taxi. Barbecue 1,000 yen adult, 700 child, 300 from age 3.
Nanki-Shirahama with an eight-year-old (1): Toretore Market and the Sandanbeki sea cave
Toretore Market Nanki-Shirahama · Links & reads ▾
Where to go next
Where it is
2521 Katata, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama 649-2201source
Before you go
- Pets are not allowed inside, not even in a bag or a carrier.source
- Whether a tuna gets cut up on any given day depends on how busy the store is, and it is done in the crowded stretch from about 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., once or twice on weekdays and two or three times on weekends and holidays.source
- No food from anywhere but Toretore Market may be brought into the barbecue area; anyone found with it is asked to leave immediately, with no refund of the fee.source
- Drinks cannot be brought into the barbecue area, and seasonings are sold inside the barbecue building.source
- Since there is open fire at the barbecue seats, families are asked to keep an eye on their children so that nobody leans over the railings or does anything else unsafe.source
More notes (10)
- Outside opening hours, at night and on closed days, neither the parking lot nor the restrooms can be used.source
- Anyone in swimwear, or bare from the waist up, cannot enter.source
- The tuna cutting has no fixed time, and the market declines inquiries about it in advance.source
- Taking photos to post on social media is prohibited, and requests from individuals are refused as a rule.source
- Visitors are asked not to ride motorized suitcases anywhere in Toretore Park, on the grounds or inside the buildings.source
- For the barbecue, you check in at the entrance and secure your seat first, then go and buy your ingredients inside Toretore Market.source
- Every seat in the barbecue area is non-smoking.source
- Pets cannot enter the barbecue area on food hygiene grounds; only guide dogs and service dogs are admitted.source
- A barbecue course menu has to be reserved by 5 p.m. four days before your visit, and seats alone cannot be reserved: a set menu must be booked for everyone in the party.source
- None of the facilities in Toretore Park accept reservations made through a telephone booking agency.source
Basics
- Fee：Entry and parking are free; you pay each shop for what you buy. The BBQ corner charges a seat fee with a drink bar included - ¥1,000 for adults, ¥700 for children and ¥300 for under-fives from age three - and the food itself is bought inside the market on top of that. Cards, e-money and QR payments work in many shops but not all.source2
- Hours：8:30-18:30, with last food orders around 17:30. The food alley opens later than the market itself - 10:00 on weekdays, 9:30 on weekends and on holidays - and the grilled-seafood counter only opens on weekends and on holidays. The BBQ corner runs 11:00 to a last entry around 16:30 on weekdays, 10:00 to around 17:00 on weekends and on holidays. Outside opening hours, and on closing days, the parking lot and the toilets cannot be used.source234
- Time to allow：2 h
- Booking：There is nothing to book to walk in and shop or eat. The BBQ corner is different: you can reserve a set course up to four days ahead (by 17:00), and a reservation always has to include the food, never just the table. Same-day BBQ works too - check in at the entrance, take a seat, then buy your ingredients inside the market. Booking through a phone-reservation agency is not accepted anywhere in the park.source2
Basics in detail (12)
- The address is 2521 Katata, Shirahama Town, Nishimuro District, Wakayama 649-2201, and the phone number is 0739-42-1010, with a toll-free line at 0120-811-378.source
- By car it is about 5 minutes from Shirahama Station, about 5 minutes from Adventure World, and about 10 minutes from Nanki-Shirahama Airport.source
- By car it is about 15 minutes from Sandanbeki and Senjojiki, and about 15 minutes from Shirarahama beach.source
- From JR Shin-Osaka Station it is about 2 hours 30 minutes by limited express to JR Shirahama Station and then about 5 minutes by car; driving from central Osaka takes about 2 hours 30 minutes.source
- The market is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with last food orders around 5:30 p.m.source
- Last orders for food are taken around 5:30 p.m.source
- The eating area, Toretore Yokocho, opens at 10 a.m. on weekdays and 9:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays.source
- A barbecue slot lasts an hour and a half, with 15 minutes added for shopping, so 105 minutes at most.source
- The barbecue area runs from 11 a.m. on weekdays, with last entry around 4:30 p.m., and from 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with last entry around 5 p.m.source
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (4)
- Official: Indoor / outdoor, Outside food allowed
- Official: Steps & slope caution, Stroller access notes
- Official: Stroller access notes
- Official: Stroller access notes
Fresh fish arrives daily from around Japan, and some of it swims in tanks by the aisles. Staff cut up a whole tuna once or twice on weekdays and two or three times on weekends. The hour is never fixed in advance. The food alley runs four counters, with the grilled-seafood one open on weekends only. There is also a corner of capsule-toy machines. Entry and parking are free.
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet | ||||
| Nursing space | Not checked yet | ||||
| Family restroom | Not checked yet | ||||
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet | ||||
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | The market hall itself is indoors. The BBQ corner is outdoors, and closes at short notice in strong wind or heavy rain. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | toretore.com |
| Outside food allowed | No | Ingredients bought anywhere other than inside Toretore Market cannot be brought into the BBQ corner - if staff find them you are asked to leave and the seat fee is not refunded. Drinks cannot be brought in either; seasonings are sold at the BBQ shop. Whether baby food is treated the same way is not stated. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | toretore.com |
| English support | Not checked yet | ||||
| Steps & slope caution | Barrier-free | Wheelchairs can go inside the market, and the two staircases in the hall have ramps. The seafood BBQ corner is the one place with a step - tell a staff member when you use it. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | toretore.com |
| Child switch (rider swap) | Not checked yet | ||||
| Stroller access notesExtra info — guide only | Yes | Parking is free. By car it is about 5 minutes from JR Shirahama station, about 5 minutes from Adventure World, about 10 minutes from Nanki-Shirahama airport and about 15 minutes from Sandanbeki and Shirarahama beach; the limited express from Shin-Osaka takes about 2.5 hours. Wheelchairs are lent free at the front entrance or the service counter, though there are only a few. Coin lockers inside take items up to 50cm high, 30cm wide and 40cm deep, during opening hours only. There is a post-office ATM by the front entrance and a Yamato delivery counter for sending purchases home. Pets cannot come in, even in a bag or a cage; swimwear and bare chests are refused; electric suitcases are asked not to be ridden anywhere in the park. | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | toretore.comtoretore.comtoretore.com |
| Official family-friendly certificationExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Best-fit ages (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Crowding (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Quietness (guide)Extra info — guide only | Not checked yet | ||||
| Lost-child supportExtra info — guide only | Not checked yet |