Singaporeans have developed quite an appetite for Japanese food. From affordable sushi chains to intimate omakase counters, sashimi has become something we enjoy without giving it much thought. We recognise the familiar orange of salmon, the deep red of tuna, and perhaps the delicate pink of yellowtail. But how many of us actually understand what makes one piece of sashimi better than another?
It's a question worth exploring at Araya Shouten, a Japanese fishmonger located at Tanglin Mall. Unlike conventional seafood retailers, the shop operates with knowledge drawn from generations of Japanese fishing traditions and years of supplying seafood to Singapore's Japanese restaurant industry.
Behind the counter is founder Araya-san, whose understanding of fish began long before he entered the seafood business. His story offers an interesting lesson for Singaporeans who love sashimi: appreciating raw fish involves much more than knowing which species to order.
A Childhood That Began With the Sea
To understand Araya Shouten, we need to travel back to Hokkaido, where Araya-san was born and raised in Tomakomai. His grandfather worked as a commercial fisherman at Kushiro Port, once Japan's busiest fishing port, while other relatives operated fishing vessels in the same region.
Growing up, Araya-san regularly ate sashimi-grade seafood brought directly from fishing boats. While most children develop their preferences through home-cooked meals, his understanding of seafood came from eating fish selected by people who knew the ocean intimately.
This upbringing shaped something difficult to teach in a classroom: the ability to recognise good fish through experience.
After approximately 13 years working in frozen seafood logistics and international trade, Araya-san arrived in Singapore in 2012. His early wholesale business eventually supplied Japanese restaurants, including Michelin-starred establishments, before Araya Shouten opened its physical shop at Tanglin Mall in 2022.
What began as a family connection to fishing had become a way of sharing Japanese seafood knowledge with Singaporean diners.
What Is Mekkiki, and Why Does It Matter?
One of the most interesting concepts behind Araya Shouten is Mekkiki, a Japanese term describing the trained ability to recognise quality through careful observation and experience.
For everyday shoppers, choosing sashimi often involves checking its colour, appearance, and price. However, experienced Japanese fishmongers understand that two fish belonging to the same species can differ significantly in flavour, texture, and fat content.
Consider tuna, one of Singapore's most popular sashimi choices. Araya Shouten offers both farmed and wild-caught varieties, allowing customers to explore differences that go beyond appearance.
Araya-san also works with experienced seafood suppliers who understand how to identify desirable catches before they reach the wider market.
The lesson here is simple: the name of the fish tells us what we're eating, but it doesn't necessarily tell us how good it will taste.
For Singaporeans accustomed to selecting seafood from supermarket displays, this introduces a different way of thinking about sashimi.
Why Good Sashimi Is Not Just About Freshness
We often associate excellent sashimi with freshness, but Araya Shouten's sourcing practices reveal why that description alone is incomplete.
According to Araya-san, some of the most important decisions affecting fish quality happen immediately after the catch. How quickly the fish is processed, how its blood is removed, and how its muscles are handled can influence its eventual flavour and texture.
For his orders, selected Japanese suppliers perform specialised procedures that differ from conventional processing.
These include:
- Shinkei Jime: A Japanese technique involving the destruction of the fish's spinal nerves to delay post-mortem changes and help preserve texture.
- Sumotoshiki: A specialised blood-removal method that flushes blood from the fish, helping reduce unwanted fishy aromas.
- Immediate gut removal: Removing internal organs promptly helps minimise deterioration and protect the surrounding flesh.
- Water-jet cleaning: A processing technique used to clean the fish's internal cavity more thoroughly.
Araya-san personally visits suppliers in Japan to share these handling requirements, which are performed specifically for his orders.
These methods don't replace proper refrigeration, hygiene, or safe seafood handling. Instead, they demonstrate how much technical knowledge goes into preparing fish intended for raw consumption.
For sashimi lovers, it's a reminder that the experience begins well before someone picks up a knife.
Learning to Appreciate Fish Beyond Salmon and Tuna
Another interesting aspect of Araya Shouten is its approach to seasonal seafood.
Walk into many Japanese seafood counters in Singapore, and you'll encounter familiar selections such as salmon, tuna, and yellowtail. These varieties remain popular because customers recognise them and know what to expect.
Araya Shouten takes a different approach by following seasonal catches from Japanese fishing ports. Its selection can include lesser-known varieties such as Shibudai, Gimpo, and Choshi Kimidai, depending on availability.
Choshi Kimidai is particularly interesting because its story begins in the waters surrounding Choshi, where the cold Oyashio and warm Kuroshio currents meet. These conditions support rich marine ecosystems, while fishing vessels travel several hours offshore to catch the fattier specimens Araya-san seeks.
Rather than relying entirely on established wholesale markets, he developed a direct relationship with a local supplier after visiting Choshi and exploring its seafood auctions.
For Singaporeans, this approach offers an opportunity to understand Japanese seafood through geography and seasonality.
Instead of asking only whether salmon or tuna is available, we can begin asking which fish is particularly good at that moment.
From Japanese Fishing Ports to Singapore's Dining Tables
Araya Shouten's story also highlights something often overlooked in Singapore's dining culture: the people responsible for bringing ingredients to our tables.
Araya-san sources seafood directly from Japanese fishing ports, including Choshi, Hakodate, Shimonoseki, and Nemuro. This allows him to work closely with suppliers rather than depending entirely on the conventional wholesale route through Tokyo's Toyosu Market.
His relationships also carry a cultural purpose. Having witnessed the decline of traditional Japanese fishing communities, Araya-san believes preserving demand for their catches is essential to protecting Japan's seafood heritage.
For a country like Singapore, where food traditions have developed through generations of migration, trade, and cultural exchange, this connection feels particularly relevant. Our dining culture has always been shaped by ingredients and knowledge arriving from elsewhere. Araya Shouten represents another example of how those traditions find a place in Singapore.
Is Araya Shouten Worth Exploring for Sashimi?
Araya Shouten is not positioned as an inexpensive alternative to supermarket sashimi. Its appeal lies in the sourcing relationships, specialised processing, and experienced selection behind the seafood.
That distinction matters when considering its higher prices. Customers are paying for more than a familiar fish species arranged in a takeaway container. They're accessing a supply network developed through years of working with Japanese fishing communities and professional kitchens.
For those interested in preparing sashimi at home, exploring seasonal Japanese seafood, or understanding why certain catches command higher prices, Araya Shouten offers a different perspective on buying fish.
And perhaps that's its most valuable contribution to Singapore's food scene.
A Different Way to Think About Sashimi
Singapore's love for Japanese cuisine continues to grow, but enjoying sashimi and understanding sashimi are two different things.
Araya Shouten reminds us that every slice carries decisions about fishing, selection, processing, and transportation. It also carries knowledge passed between generations of people whose livelihoods depend on understanding the sea.
The next time we choose sashimi, perhaps the most interesting question isn't simply whether the fish is fresh.
It's who selected it, where it came from, and what happened before it reached our table.
That's the kind of food knowledge worth bringing home from Araya Shouten.
