The air in a kakigoya (oyster hut) is smoky, strong with the smell of seafood. Barbecue pits line the hut, and the thick plastic walls trap the heat. Large groups crowd the pits, grilling oysters and drinking. Somewhere, an oyster bursts open with a crack, earning a loud cheer from those nearby.
Kakigoya are a winter phenomenon of Fukuoka Prefecture, temporary restaurants that usually spring up at some point in November and last to the end of the oyster season in March. The vast majority of the huts are located on the long, sandy coastline of the Itoshima Peninsula, out to the west of the city of Fukuoka.
From May to September, Itoshima is a summer retreat for those living in Fukuoka and the beaches are home to all-night parties and music festivals. But with harsh winter winds, activity moves away from the beaches and into the more secluded bays and harbor towns that exist across the peninsula.
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