There are some photographic subjects that are not exactly obviously photogenic. This was definitely one: Kamaboko AKA Japanese fish cake. I was shooting the white pasty food for an airline magazine. So what to do?
I visited a kamaboko factory in the inner Tsujiki fish market and the same company’s kamaboko shop in the outer market.
My internet research started with kamaboko.com which gets my vote for the coolest domain name of 2009. It is owned by a kamaboko maker based in Odawara, about an hour from Tokyo. When I visited I found they had one of the slickest PR operations of any company I’ve ever covered. Next to their office and factory was a huge kamaboko shop, several restaurants, and a kamaboko museum with kamaboko making classes for children.
Unbelieveably, they get TWO MILLION visitors a year.
chilled summer oden containing kamaboko
The “Home of kamaboko” in Odawara
kamaboko in the shape of toy cars!
kamaboko character hat. hmmm
Kamaboko fish cake, August 2009 – Images by Tony McNicol
Definately more than I needed to know but all education is good. And you got good images amazingly good when you consider the subject! Well done.
Damon
At least the story wasn’t on natto.
Kamaboko toy car!? Which airline magazine does your Kamaboko appear? I would love to read the article!
ANA. My son loved the kamabokomobile :)
[...] photos are from a long feature I did recently on fugu (blowfish). Someone I interviewed for a story on kamaboko very kindly introduced me to the main fugu dealer, Otsubo [...]