Tokyo Fish Market a Catch for Albany Seafood Lovers

Tokyo Fish Market, a Japanese grocery store on San Pablo Avenue on the border of Albany and Berkeley, caters to Japanese-American communities, Japanese students at Berkeley and Japanese food lovers throughout the East Bay. 

Isamu and Tazuye Fujita opened the market in 1963. Larry Fujita, their youngest son, now owns the business with Lee Nakamura. Both are sansei, or third-generation Japanese Americans.

The market carries everything from Japanese rice and confections to soy sauce, sake and Japanese produce. But, true to its name, fish, some of which are imported from Japan, are what truly distinguish this market from others.

California has the nation's largest Asian population, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Many Chinese were brought to the state to build railroads, and many Vietnamese immigrated after the Vietnam War.

Albany and Berkeley used to have many more Japanese-owned businesses. Most are gone now, following the internment of many Japanese Americans in camps following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

But several businesses around Albany still carry on the legacy of the area's established Japanese-American roots.

Nakamura, who oversees the fish counter at Tokyo Fish Market, used to run the fish counter at Berkeley Bowl.

He said Tokyo Fish Market always stocks more than 100 kinds of fish, from tuna, salmon and halibut to octopus and swordfish. It also carries both Japanese and American oysters and clams.

These days, one notable item is missing.

"We stopped carrying prawns because of the oil spill in the Gulf," said Nakamura, adding that he wants to avoid anything that would make his customers wary of the quality.

Born and raised in Berkeley, he seems to know everybody. On a recent afternoon in the shop, he greeted every customer and chatted easily with them. 

"The generations change, and Japanese Americans become more Americanized. So we listen to the customers and try to mix both needs," said the 55-year-old. Only the freshest fish makes it into his counter, he added.

Such devotion to quality has made Tokyo Fish Market increasingly popular. In 2005, the owners moved into a 5,000-square-foot store behind their original 1,700-square-foot location. They turned the original space into a gift shop.

Nakamura is planning to travel to Tokyo and Kyoto in July.

"What should I eat and do there in the summer?" he asked sheepishly. "This is my first trip to Japan."