Rishiri Uni (Sea Urchin): When It's in Season, What It Costs and Where to Eat It

Rishiri Island's sea urchins grow up eating Rishiri kombu, the kelp the island is famous for, and I had it two ways in late June 2026: as a raw sea urchin bowl in front of the ferry terminal, and straight out of a shell I cracked open myself on the shore. Here is when the season is, what it cost on the day I went, and how the two compare.

1When is sea urchin season on Rishiri Island?

According to Rishiri Town, the fishing season is June to September for purple sea urchin (kita-murasaki uni) and July to August for bafun sea urchin (ezo bafun uni, a smaller, short-spined kind) (Rishiri Town, as of November 2026). Even so, on June 25 the restaurant I went to had bafun sea urchin on its board too.

So plan your trip for summer. The flights from Sapporo's New Chitose Airport (June 1 to September 30 in 2026, per ANA as of November 10, 2026) and the hands-on sea urchin experience below also run only in summer.

2A raw sea urchin bowl at Isoyakitei

Isoyakitei is a casual restaurant right across from the ferry terminal in Oshidomari, the island's port town. I had the purple sea urchin bowl (nama-uni don).

What a sea urchin bowl costs

The printed menu on the table just said "June to September" where the sea urchin bowl's price should be; the day's prices were on a whiteboard in the shop. On June 25, 2026 they were:

The menu also has ramen and other rice bowls.

It tasted of a gentle, broth-like, clean saltiness, with no fishy smell. Sea urchin is said to taste of what it eats, and Rishiri's grow up on kelp and other seaweed.

Waits, sell-outs and hours

I walked in alone at about 12:30 on June 25 and got a seat straight away. In the summer season it gets busy and there can be long lines (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). When I'd stopped by at 14:00 the day before, the ramen had sold out and only the sea urchin bowls and a few other dishes were left. Isoyakitei is open April to October, 10:00 to 17:00, with hours that can change and no fixed closing day (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026), so it is a lunch place, not dinner.

I parked at the ferry terminal parking lot, which is right next to it.

Cape Peshi, the viewpoint I'd most recommend on the island, starts from there too, so I climbed it first and walked down to lunch.

Cape Peshi on Rishiri Island: A 23-Minute Climb to the Best View of the Harbor and Mt. RishiriClimbing Cape Peshi on Rishiri Island: how long it takes, the gentle and steep routes, where to park, and the view of Oshidomari harbor and Mt. Rishiri from the top, from a Sapporo local.

3Opening a sea urchin yourself at Kamui Kaigan Park

About 10 minutes by car from Kutsugata, the town on the island's west side, Kamui Kaigan Park lets you crack open a live sea urchin and eat it on the spot.

Price, booking and how long it takes

It costs 2,000 yen per person for one purple sea urchin, with tools included, so you can come empty-handed. You can book on the official site, and a session lasts up to 30 minutes. It runs every day from June 1 to September 30, 9:30 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00); in May it is by reservation only (Kamui Kaigan Park, as of November 2026).

I went on a weekday in late June without booking. The group before me was just finishing, so I only waited about five minutes, and from the counter to the last bite took about 30 minutes.

The parking lot is in front of a black distillery building marked KAMUI, and the sea urchin experience is checked in at a separate building with banners outside.

What it's like

The sea urchins arrive in a basket, still alive, spines moving.

You crack the shell with the tool and scoop out the orange roe with a spoon; the tools are the real ones the fishermen use.

Eaten straight away, it had the same gentle, broth-like saltiness. The staff said that is because Rishiri's sea urchins feed on Rishiri kombu and other seaweed. Watch out for the crows nearby; they were after the sea urchins. On days with good weather and calm seas, you may be able to start by catching the sea urchin yourself from a small fishing boat, at the same price, and the staff tell you on the day (Kamui Kaigan Park, as of November 2026).

Afterwards I spent 20 to 30 minutes on the terrace looking out over black lava rocks and the sea.

It was cloudy that day, and only the lower slopes of Mt. Rishiri showed.

4Sea urchin bowl or opening one yourself?

Here is how the two compare:

5FAQ about Rishiri sea urchin

Q1. When can you eat sea urchin on Rishiri Island?

In summer. Rishiri Town gives the fishing season as June to September for purple sea urchin and July to August for bafun sea urchin. Isoyakitei is open April to October, and the sea urchin experience at Kamui Kaigan Park runs June 1 to September 30 (as of November 2026).

Q2. How much is a sea urchin bowl on Rishiri Island?

At Isoyakitei on June 25, 2026, the purple sea urchin bowl was 7,000 yen and the bafun sea urchin bowl 15,000 yen. The day's prices are written on a whiteboard in the shop.

Q3. Do I need to book the sea urchin experience?

No. I walked in and waited about five minutes. You can also book on the official site.

6More on Rishiri Island

Both sea urchin stops are part of my two-night drive around the island, with the timetable and costs.

Rishiri Island Itinerary: 2 or 3 Days Around Mt. Rishiri by Rental CarA Sapporo local's Rishiri Island itinerary by rental car, with real times: flights from Sapporo, picking up the car at the airport, Himenuma Pond, Cape Peshi, sea urchin season and prices, where to stay, costs, and a shorter 1-night version.