【Reading】とまこまい

【English Name】Tomakomai

Tomakomai, a port city facing the Pacific side of the Iburi region, has a population of about 160,000. The origin of this place name is "To-Makomai," combining "to," which means swamp in the Ainu language, with "makomai" (a river that enters deep into the mountains).

What is especially noteworthy from a sushi standpoint is the point that it boasts the top catch volume of surf clam (hokkigai / ubagai) in all of Japan. In 2002 the surf clam was designated the "shellfish of the city," positioned as the region's signature ingredient. At sushi restaurants in the city, surf clam is used for nigiri and gunkan, and in addition to serving it raw, heated preparations such as searing and blanching (yubiki) are also favored.

It takes the 1873 relocation of a Kaitakushi (Hokkaido Development Commission) branch office as its founding, and achieved development with the paper industry and port functions as its axes. With a port opening onto the Pacific and proximity to New Chitose Airport, it is also a key point of fresh-fish distribution. It is a region also blessed with natural surroundings, such as Mount Tarumae and Lake Utonai, a wetland registered under the Ramsar Convention.