Protected local food
Ono Asari Clams
大野あさり
Large, plump asari clams from Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima, raised on tidal flats facing Miyajima. Rich in umami, with a deep broth and very little sand.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 10 December 2019
- Region
- Chugoku
- Official name in Japanese
- 大野あさり
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 広島県廿日市市
Fed by Miyajima's forests
The Ono Seto strait, between the mainland at Hatsukaichi and the island of Miyajima in Hiroshima, is calm but has steady tidal currents. Rivers and ground water from Miyajima's forests flow in, so the plankton that clams eat is plentiful year-round.
Big clams
Each fisher manages their own plot of tidal flat, and the clams are left to grow large before harvest. Most are over 35 mm across, and over 45 mm is not unusual. The meat is thick and plump, the broth is rich, and there is very little sand.
How to eat it
Try them steamed in sake (sakamushi), in miso soup, or with pasta. Big clams look good on any plate.
Good to know
- Hatsukaichi is the ferry port for Miyajima. Restaurants near the port and on the island serve local clams and oysters.
- In Hiroshima, also try Toyoshima Cutlassfish and Hiba beef.
Questions travellers ask
What are asari?
Japanese littleneck clams, eaten in soups, steamed with sake or with pasta.
Where is Ono?
The Ono area of Hatsukaichi city, Hiroshima, facing Miyajima.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
- Fukiya: the birthplace of Japan Red
- Iwami kagura: gods and demons dance the old myths
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- Onomichi: a hillside port town of temples and lanes
- The Murakami Kaizoku: sea lords of the Geiyo Islands
- Tomonoura: Japan's best-kept Edo-era port town
- Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo and Maizuru: Japan's naval port cities
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.