Hokkaido Fresh / Frozen Uni (Sea Urchin Roe)

Ezo-bafun-uni / Kita-murasaki-uni · Hokkaido (and Tohoku)
Meat & Seafood Uni Chilled Growing export

Luxury sea-urchin roe — creamy orange Ezo-bafun-uni and top-grade sweet kita-murasaki-uni — for sushi/omakase. Sold fresh on wooden trays (ita-uni), in salt water (ensui-uni), or frozen for longer reach. Extremely short shelf life keeps most fresh uni within a tight airfreight radius (East/Southeast Asia).

The supplierHokkaido harvesters and Toyosu intermediaries; bafun-uni (richer) and murasaki-uni (lighter). Highly perishable luxury product; fresh-chilled by air, or frozen/board-packed for export.
Why it sells abroadHokkaido bafun/murasaki uni, alum-free premium grades — peak sweetness and creaminess, a top sushi-counter luxury draw.

Buyer's brief ✓ SOURCES VERIFIED

CertificationsHACCP at processors (confirmed: HACCP made compulsory for Japanese food businesses in 2020, so licensed uni processors operate under HACCP). Alum-free ('muban'/additive-free) grades confirmed as a genuine premium export class (flash-frozen, no alum, no preservatives). FSSC 22000/ISO 22000 at larger packers: plausible but not verified per specific uni packer. EU-approved establishment for echinoderms required for EU routes: not verified per producer. Destination health certificate: standard requirement, not a held certification.
Pack formatsWooden/plastic board trays (~100-250g) for fresh; frozen blocks or trays; boxed for air or reefer freight.
Shelf lifeFresh chilled: ~3-7 days at 0-4C (highly perishable). Frozen: ~6-12 months at -18C or below.
StorageFresh: chilled 0-4C. Frozen: -18C or below (sashimi-grade often held -18 to -40C for premium texture).
Minimum orderTypical: small chilled-air lots; consolidated frozen.
Lead timeTypical: fresh = days (airfreight); frozen 1-3 weeks incl. certificate.
CapacityTypical: limited seasonal harvest; premium scarcity.
Container loadTypical: fresh by airfreight (chilled cartons); frozen consolidated reefer.
PricingEstimate: luxury — Typical $80-300+/kg FOB by grade (alum-free premium grades highest).
OEM / private labelBrand only / spec grading available (alum-free and color-graded grades are real spec differentiators sold to overseas buyers).
Wholesale & MOQFresh airfreight (24-48h) to Asian premium restaurants; frozen tray-uni for longer routes/retail; allocation by grade.
Key exporters & distributorsToyosu-market exporters, Hokkaido uni specialists (e.g. TW/Royale supply chains)
Export regulationEchinoderm/live-fresh sanitary controls + rapid cold chain; EU live/fresh needs approved establishment + health certificate. Freshness, not tariffs, is the binding constraint. (Japan is also a major uni IMPORTER, e.g. from the US.)
Market demandHigh-end sushi HORECA in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, China, US.
How to source itHokkaido harvesters / Toyosu intermediaries / specialist uni exporters; trade via JETRO, Seafood Expo, FOODEX JAPAN.
Verified sourceshttps://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies (HACCP mandatory in Japan from 2020); https://jx.today/products/frozen-ezo-bafun-uni (alum-free/additive-free flash-frozen Ezo bafun uni export); uu-nippon.com (Murakami Shoten additive-free uni shipping technique)
MakerHokkaido harvesters / Toyosu intermediaries
OriginHokkaido (and Tohoku)
CategoryMeat & Seafood / Uni
Available inHK, TW, SG +2 more
HandlingChilled
Price tierPremium
ChannelFoodservice
Export readinessGrowing export
HS code0308 / 1605
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Profile maintained by Japonity (japonity.com), May 2026. General sourcing information only — confirm current availability, pricing, MOQ and the destination market's import rules with the maker or exporter before contracting. Japonity is not affiliated with this brand.