The Uni Calendar — Updated for 2026

We keep this one always updated! 

Uni moves fast. Ports open and close, seasons shift a week earlier or later than the year before, and the box that was perfect in July is gone by September. We've been tracking it long enough to know last year's calendar won't tell you what's landing this week.

So we keep ours current. This is the 2026 version of the buyer's dashboard we actually use when we're deciding what to source. If you want to know why the uni at your counter tastes different one month to the next, this is the answer.

Two uni, two rhythms

Bafun is the orange one. Rich, sweet, deep. It hits hard and stays. Season runs November through May, with Hokkaido and the Northern Territories doing most of the work.

Murasaki is the pale one. Lighter, cleaner, more delicate on the finish. June through November, with supply spread across more regions so it stays steady.

Different uni, different seasons, different jobs on the plate. One isn't better than the other. They just show up at different times of the year.

Hokkaido Bafun, port by port

Not all Hokkaido bafun is the same. Each port has its own window.

Rebun and Rishiri come in May through August. The famous ones. If you've ever had uni that tasted like the sea in early summer, this was probably it.

Hamanaka fills the shoulders, farmed from January to March and September to December, wild in a tighter window.

Shikibu (Chirip) matches the farmed rhythm.

Rausu is the long one. January through June, then again November and December. The port that keeps our bafun supply alive when the famous ones close.

The global picture

Zoom out and the whole year fills in.

Rebun takes the summer. Miyagi stretches March to September. The Western Hokkaido coast covers January to May, then returns October through December. The same waters bring red in June and white in August. Canada's East Coast fills January to May and August to December.

Which is a long way of saying good uni is available year-round. You just have to know which door it's coming through this month.

How to read the calendar

When you order from us, you're not just choosing uni. You're choosing a port, a month, and a season.

Want the orange hit? Bafun, November to May.
Want the clean finish? Murasaki, June to October.
Want a specific port? Write to us. We'll tell you what's actually landing this week.

We update this page as the year moves. Bookmark it, come back when the season turns.

See you at the counter.

— The team at Hokkaido Uni Shop