Along Kanagawa’s Shonan coast, the local delicacy is shirasu — tiny, translucent whitebait (baby sardines and anchovies) landed fresh from Sagami Bay. Served gleaming and raw (nama-shirasu) when the boats are out, or gently boiled (kama-age) and piled over rice, it’s the signature taste of a day at Enoshima and the Shonan beaches. A shirasu-don — a bowl of rice heaped with whitebait, perhaps with an egg yolk and ginger — is the dish to seek out, best enjoyed at a seaside diner with the surf in view.

This guide covers what shirasu is, raw vs boiled, the rice bowl, the season and where to eat.

🗓️ Quick Reference
What Whitebait (baby sardines/anchovies)
Signature dish Shirasu-don (whitebait rice bowl)
Where Enoshima & the Shonan coast
Raw season Roughly spring–autumn (boats out)
Good for Seafood lovers, coastal day trips

What is shirasu?

  • Tiny translucent whitebait, the larvae of sardines and anchovies, caught fresh in Sagami Bay.
  • Nama-shirasu (raw): soft and delicate, only available on days the boats can fish.
  • Kama-age (boiled): gently cooked, white and fluffy — available year-round, often dried into shirasu-boshi.

Shirasu-don & how to eat it

  • The classic is shirasu-don — a bowl of rice topped generously with whitebait.
  • Order it raw, boiled, or “half and half” to compare; common extras are a raw egg yolk, grated ginger, nori and soy.
  • Many shops also do shirasu pizza, toast and croquettes — a fun local twist.

Season & where to eat

  • Raw shirasu depends on the catch — fishing is closed Jan–mid-Mar, and rough days mean no raw shirasu; boiled is always available.
  • Seaside diners around Enoshima, Koshigoe and the Shonan beaches are the place to eat it — see our Enoshima guide .
  • Ask if today’s shirasu is raw or boiled before ordering.

Combine your visit

Shirasu is part of a Shonan coast day:

How to get there

  • The Shonan coast is reached via the Enoden line and Odakyu/Katase-Enoshima; shirasu shops cluster near Enoshima.
  • ~1–1.5 hours from central Tokyo.