Kuromon Market 黒門市場, Osaka

With news of the Covid-19 virus spread being reported in China, I started to look for N95 or even surgical masks a few days before my 2-week trip to Japan. By then most of the supplies were gone in the Watsons and Guardian stores. I only managed to get a few N95 masks but was hopeful that surgical masks would be easier to acquire in Japan.

On 23rd January 2020, the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed the first imported case of Covid-19 infection in Singapore. This was just 2 days before the major Chinese New Year holidays. But the situation seems to be under controlled and life went on as per normal.

When we arrived in Osaka, Japan, one of the first things we did was to stop by the convenience store to get 1-2 pack of surgical masks in case we need it (for emergency use). The racks were still well-stocked with a variety of sizes, brands and choices were aplenty. Little did we foresee that these masks soon became rare commodity, within next few days they were SOLD OUT almost everywhere we went in Japan.

As we touched down at 6+am, we were pretty hungry and ready to fill our stomachs with a hearty breakfast by 10am at the Kuromon Market. Nicknamed “Osaka’s kitchen”, this is Osaka‘s version of Nishiki Market in Kyoto (post).

Within the market, there are several izakaya style eateries, selling fresh sashimi and grilled seafood. Most stalls have prices clearly displayed so visitors can make your own comparison before deciding which shop to patronise. Admittedly we were disappointed that the price of the seafood here seems higher than the ones we had in Hokkaido (post). The stalls in this market felt more commercialised as well.

We went into Kuromon Sanpei which has a relatively generous seating space and sat down to savour our bountiful 年年有余（”鱼”）Chinese New Year breakfast.

The sashimi platter with uni set cost ¥3,500 (ard US$33) and the grilled crab leg ¥3,000 (ard US$28). With a 10% tax, this breakfast cost us closed to US$70. The items were fresh but I wouldn’t say its value-for-money. I’ve had more wallet-friendly yet quality seafood from market in Hokkaido.

After this stop, we saw Maguroya Kurogin (a huge and popular stall at a corner junction) that specialize in Pacific bluefin tuna. Don’t be intimidated by its long queue or crowd as dining space is available on 2nd and 3rd floors. We were full from our earlier sashimi set and did not spend time at this shop.

We were craving for some dessert, so these Soy Milk (Tofu) Donuts caught our eyes. They were freshly fried and were still slightly warm when the owner handed the “boat” full of donuts to me.

I did not dare to take much photos of the shops at the market as there were also some signages telling people “No Photography” at some of the shops. I suppose if you patronised the stall and asked if you could take photo of your food, that should be fine.

By around 11+AM, the place got pretty crowded very quickly. With a heightened awareness of the Covid, we decided not to linger around any longer. I could sense some tourists seemed to be in a rush for time as they shuffled in a hurried pace within the market and in a rowdy manner…It was a sign for me to make a move out of the market… I must say I prefer the experience at Nishiki Market in Kyoto (albeit that was 3 years ago) where I felt that most of the stall owners are more personable.

Earlier Photos Taken:

Fresh Fruits, Fresh Salad, Brioche Toast with Maple Syrup and Yoghurt with Vanilla Granola just before touchdown.

Arrived at the hotel by 8+AM.

Although I had been to Osaka a few times, my ~~obsession~~ interest in collecting the regional postcards only started in 2017 (from Kyoto Train Station). Hence this time round I made my way to the post office to purchase the Osaka prefecture postcards.