If you’re planning a trip to Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, be sure to include Omicho Market in you list of must visit spots! Omicho Market is the biggest fresh food market in Kanazawa, and a great place to experience the food and drink culture of the city. 

To truly experience the excitement of the market, be sure to visit during the morning hours. While you explore, you can even enjoy breakfast at one of the many shops or restaurants within.

But with so many places offering food in Omicho Market, how do you choose the right venue for you? 

To help you decide, our local MACHIYA INNS & HOTELS staff has picked the top five spots to enjoy a delicious breakfast at Omicho Market.  

Omicho Market is Kanazawa City’s biggest fresh food market, and a fantastic place to sample some of the city’s local cuisine and specialties. Visitors are often amazed by the vibrant energy, lively atmosphere, and wide variety of foods. 

For more than 300 years, Omicho Market has been a key part of the local food scene. Often called “Kanazawa’s Kitchen” by locals and Japanese visitors, this market is lined by approximately 200 shops and stalls. Most shops in the market sell food like local vegetables and seafood, but you can also find souvenirs, clothing, flowers, and more. Omicho Market is not just a great place for sightseeing, but it is also an integral part of everyday life for locals.

Omicho Market is located just a 15 minute walk from the main Kanazawa Station, but you can also choose to take advantage of the Kanazawa City Loop Bus to get around.  You can also easily visit some of Kanazawa’s most famous locations, like Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castle, from the market.

Kanazawa City and Omicho Market are renowned for their seafood options, so trying delicious seafood during your travels is a must. And one of the best local venues is Iki-iki Tei, a small but well-stocked stall in a snug corner of the market. 

Iki-iki Tei offers fresh  and delicious fish direct from Kanazawa Port. They also opens at 7am — ideal if you want an early start to your day of sightseeing. Locals and tourists often line up for breakfast at Iki-iki Tei, a testament to the quality of its food. 

We recommend visiting this shop as early as possible. Iki-iki Tei closes early if it runs out of fresh seafood! Depending on how busy it gets, they may be closed before lunch time.

As well as mouth-watering sushi, Iki-iki Tei serves kaizen-don, a rice bowl dish topped with fresh seafood. The fresh shrimp toppings are especially popular.

A hearty bowl of udon noodles is regarded as one of the ultimate comfort foods for many Japanese locals, and it’s also a terrific way to start your day in Kanazawa, Japan. If you’re craving udon noodles to start your morning, then Hyakumangoku Udon is the place for you.

Hyakumangoku Udon has operated at Omicho Market for more than 40 years, and has built an outstanding reputation in that time. Their philosophy of having delicious food in good portion sizes, all at a reasonable price has built up quite a fan base with locals.

You can choose from various tasty options, but we personally recommend the tempura udon — enjoy it hot during winter time and refreshingly cold during the summer heat. The crispy tempura are a delicious contrast to the smooth texture of the freshly made udon noodles.

Hyakumangoku Udon also sells homemade noodles for you to take home and prepare yourself. The restaurant opens at 8am but closes when it has no noodles left, so you’re less likely to miss out if you stop by for breakfast!

Onigiri (or rice ball) is a Japanese staple food, often wrapped in seaweed or nori. While you can buy onigiri at many stores throughout Japan, including konbini (convenience stores), this shop sells onigiri that will have you coming back for more.

Poppo’s Onigiri has served local customers and Kanazawa market workers with irresistible onigiri for 40 years. It offers more than 20 types of onigiri, prepared with a wide range of ingredients. Popular onigiri fillings include salted salmon and beef, but you can also order vegetarian onigiri made with fillings like shimeji mushrooms and wakame (seaweed). 

Onigiri is a food that is meant to be taken on the go and enjoyed anywhere, anytime. It’s one of the most popular foods in Japan to eat during a picnic. Bring your chosen onigiri back to your accommodation to enjoy leisurely, or buy extra to enjoy for lunch as you sightsee in Kanazawa City.

Love a hot, strong cup of coffee with breakfast? Visit Higashide Coffee, a retro-styled coffee shop in a red-brick building near Omicho Market. 

Higashide Coffee offers around 20 types of coffee, all home-roasted, and a selection of handmade sweet treats to nibble on with your chosen drink.

We recommend the Higashide Blend coffee if you struggle to pick your first brew, and we’re happy to confirm that the Japanese pudding (purin) is well worth a try for anyone with a sweet tooth.

The Higashide Coffee team takes the utmost care to prepare the finest cup of coffee, and even sorts beans by hand to ensure the highest possible quality. 

It’s a small, busy cafe, but well worth the trip for coffee lovers!

Curio Espresso and Vintage Design owners previously lived in Seattle, a U.S. city known for its love of coffee. They opened Curio to bring their experience of drinking and brewing delicious coffee in Seattle to Kanazawa City locals. Curio sources beans from local micro-roasters, and uses milk and eggs from local farms. 

If you love pastries with your morning coffee, check out Curio Espresso and Vintage Design’s selection of baked treats (listed on their daily specials board). You’ll also find menu items like breakfast sandwiches, a soup of the day, and even vegetarian options.  The vegetarian sandwich, which include hummus, mushrooms, and feta cheese, is a great option for breakfast.