In Japan, six types of sea urchins are caught: “Bafun uni”, “Ezobafun uni”, “Murasaki uni”, “Kitamurasaki uni”, “Aka uni”, and “Shirahige uni. At sushi restaurants, “Bafun uni” and “Ezobafun uni” are sometimes called “Aka uni (red sea urchin),” while “Murasaki uni” and “Kitamurasaki uni” are called “Shiro uni (white sea urchin). Generally, red sea urchins are considered more expensive than white sea urchins because red sea urchins are sweeter and last longer, but recently, due to the effects of sea desertification, the place of origin has become more important than the type of sea urchin.
The “Kitamurasaki uni” is distributed north of the Tohoku region and the “Murasaki uni” south of the Tohoku region, the “Ezobafun uni” north of the Tohoku region and the “Bafun uni” south of Matsushima Bay, respectively.
The “Kitamurasaki sea urchin” is distributed north of the Tohoku region and the “Murasaki sea urchin” south of the Tohoku region, the “Ezo-bafun uni” north of the Tohoku region and the “Bafun uni” south of Matsushima Bay, respectively.
“Ezobafun uni” and “Kitamurasaki uni” are caught on Rishiri Island and Rebun Island, “Bafun uni” and “Murasaki uni” on Shakotan Peninsula, “Bafun uni” on the four northern islands (Kunashiri Island, Etorofu Island, Shikotan Island and Chimai Islands) and Sakhalin Island, “Kitamurasaki uni” on Sanriku, Hakodate, Matsumae, Esashi and Okushiri Island, and others. Aka uni is caught in Yura, Karatsu, Hagi, Iki, and Amakusa. In Kagoshima and Okinawa, the word “sea urchin” refers to the “Shirahige uni”.
The price of that sea urchin has not stopped soaring. It is said that the price of sea urchin has doubled over the past few years. Combined with the weak yen, we hear that the Toyosu market is losing out to foreign sushi restaurants and other buyers. Increasing conflicts and rising sea temperatures are probably part of the reason for this. And foreigners visiting Japan are beginning to understand the deliciousness of sea urchin, so the number of foreigners who do not eat sea urchin is decreasing. The situation is such that the price of sea urchin is rising more and more.
We have made a list of sea urchin producers as far as we know. We honestly do not know how we should utilize this information, but we hope it will be useful.
Higashizawa Suisan (東沢水産)
〒049-1104北海道上磯郡知内町涌元143-1
011392-5-5237
種類：Kitamurasaki uni
Hadate Suisan (羽立水産)
〒049-2222 北海道茅部郡森町砂原２丁目１９−１
01374-8-3355
種類：Kitamurasaki uni
Tachibana Suisan (橘水産 まるひろの生ウニ)
〒049-0603北海道檜山郡上ノ国町字大崎238-6
0139-55-3555
種類：Kitamurasaki uni
Daisen Komamine Kaisan (ダイセン駒嶺海産)
〒039-4503青森県下北郡風間浦村大字蛇浦字古釜谷平142-1
0175-35-2628
種類：Kitamurasaki uni
Kaneyo Ouyo Suisan (カネヨ鴎洋水産)
〒087-0025北海道根室市西浜町9-40
0153-24-5188
http://www.kaneyo.co.jp/index.html
Ichikawa Hokkai Suisan (イチカワ北海食品)
〒066-0022北海道千歳市豊里２丁目１４－６
0123-22-8014
https://hokkaido1982.jp/
種類：Ezo-bafun uni、Kitamurasaki uni
Marukuni Suisan (銀次郎 マルクニ水産)
〒986-2115宮城県石巻市万石12-3
0225-97-5011
https://marukunisuisan.co.jp/
Okumura Suisan (マルタツ 奥村水産)
〒087-0037北海道根室市穂香13-1
0153-27-1309
種類：Ensui uni
Ogawa foods (丸雅 小川フーズ)
〒061-3241北海道石狩市新港１丁目778-8
0133-77-5208
Kimura Suisan (カネキ 木村水産)
〒088-1527北海道厚岸郡浜中町新川東1丁目129
0153-62-3211
http://kaneki-kimura.jp/
種類：Ezo-bafun uni
Akiyama Suisan (マルケイ 秋山水産)
〒088-1100北海道厚岸郡厚岸町湾月町3丁目17番地
0153-52-3808
Takahashi Shoten (マルタカ髙橋商店)
〒087-0025北海道根室市清隆町2-13-2
0153-27-1066
http://www.marutaka-takahashi.com/
種類：Nemuro・Northern territories（Murasaki uni、Ezo-bafun uni）
Konishi Shoten (丸幸 小西商店)
〒031-0822青森県八戸市大字白銀町字昭和町12-6
0178-33-7632
http://www.marukou-konishi.co.jp/index.html
Ogawa shoten (小川商店)
〒049-5603北海道虻田郡洞爺湖町字入江89-5
TEL 0142-76-2323
http://ogawa-shouten.com/
種類：Kitamurasaki uni、Bafun uni
Kawakatsu uni kakou (川勝うに加工)
〒656-2541兵庫県洲本市由良1丁目21
090-3673-7307
種類：Murasaki uni、Aka uni
Hirakawa Suisan (マルキ 平川水産)
〒088-1532北海道厚岸郡浜中町琵琶瀬484番地
0153-62-3556
https://hirakawa.store/
種類：Farmed Bafun uni
Taisho Bussan (泰匠物産)
〒087-0037北海道根室市穂香125-4
09050-70-8334
種類：Ensui uni
マルキョウ あかつき水産
〒087-0032北海道根室市花咲港123番地
0153-23-3453
種類：Northern territories
柊流海産 生ウニ
〒087-0025北海道根室市西浜町8-10-5
0153-22-2033
種類：Northern territories
ヤマサ正栄水産
〒986-2135宮城県石巻市渡波字新釜1-49
0225-25-1233
http://yamasa-shouei.co.jp/
種類：Kitamurasaki uni
丸恭水産
〒053-0012北海道苫小牧市汐見町1丁目3番6号
0144-36-6644
http://marukyosuisan.com/
マルカワ 川村水産
〒087-0037北海道根室市穂香13-3
0153-27-1300
https://www.marukawa-kawamura.com/
マルエイ正木水産
〒087-0032北海道根室市花咲港68番地
0153-25-8131
種類：Northern territories
福士水産
〒097-0101北海道利尻郡利尻富士町鴛泊野塚28番地
0163-82-1161
共栄部会
〒043-1521北海道奥尻郡奥尻町字青苗
01397-3-2215
函館市漁協共同組合
〒040-0057北海道函館市入船町16番7号
0138-22-4673
Basically, even if you contact us, we are not sure if you can deal with us directly. As far as we know, for example, you would have to buy from an Intermediate wholesaler at the Toyosu market. And the ones with images are the Ita-uni (basic means of distribution are two types: on a plate and in salt water) that you often see at sushi restaurants.
We hope this information will be helpful.
Revision date: March 15, 2023
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