【Reading】さがのせき

【English Name】Saganoseki

A fishing-port settlement located on the Saganoseki Peninsula, at the eastern end of Oita City, Oita Prefecture. It is a fishing ground nurtured by the fierce tidal currents of the Hoyo Strait (Hayasui Seto), and is known as the production area of the brand fish seki-aji (horse mackerel) and seki-saba (mackerel).

Seki-aji and seki-saba are all landed by pole-and-line fishing. Because no net fishing is used, no stress is placed on the fish bodies and damage is kept to a minimum. Immediately after landing, ike-jime (live-killing) and shinkei-jime (nerve-killing) are performed to maintain freshness to the utmost; seki-saba in particular has become a rare mackerel that can be eaten raw, earning strong support from sushi artisans.

In 1996 it achieved the first trademark registration for a marine product in Japan. At shipment, a fan-shaped identification tag is attached to the tail of each individual fish, establishing a system that guarantees the production area. In addition, a unique form of commercial transaction called tsura-kai, in which prices are decided while visually inspecting the condition of the fish swimming at the water's surface, has been passed down to the present day.

Historically, the Otomo clan's naval forces established a base here in the medieval period. In the modern era, copper smelting led the local economy, and town-building advanced with companies and residents acting as one. Even after the merger into Oita City in 2005, through the persistent efforts of residents, the place name Saganoseki was officially recognized again the following year.