Protected local food
Tanoura Gindachi
田浦銀太刀
Hairtail, also called cutlassfish or beltfish, caught on a line in the Yatsushiro Sea and landed at Tanoura port in Ashikita, Kumamoto. The fish stay bright silver and their flesh is firm.
Key facts
- Registered as a protected name
- 10 December 2019
- Region
- Kyushu & Okinawa
- Official name in Japanese
- 田浦銀太刀
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 熊本県葦北郡芦北町田浦沖及びその周辺海域（八代海）
A silver sword of a fish
Tachiuo, the hairtail, is a long, flat, ribbon-like fish whose skin shines like a blade. Gindachi means silver sword. Tanoura Gindachi are caught one by one on a line and landed at Tanoura port in Ashikita town, Kumamoto.
A rich inland sea
The Yatsushiro Sea is fed by the Kuma River and full of small fish such as sardines for the hairtail to eat. Tanoura sits in the middle of their migration route, which is why line fishing took hold here. Fishers handle each catch carefully to keep it fresh.
Why it sells high
The fish are meaty with just the right amount of fat and a clean white-fish flavour, and the flesh is firm. At the Kumamoto city wholesale market they fetch around 50% more than other hairtail.
Good to know
- Hairtail is excellent salt-grilled or as sashimi when very fresh. Try it at seafood restaurants along the coast south of Yatsushiro.
- Ashikita is on the Hisatsu Orange Railway, a scenic coastal line between Yatsushiro and Kagoshima.
Questions travellers ask
What is tachiuo in English?
Hairtail, also called largehead hairtail, cutlassfish or beltfish.
Why is line-caught better?
Line fishing avoids the damage that nets can cause, so the silver skin and firm flesh stay intact.
Where it comes from
More protected foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.