時鮭ときしらず

also: ときざけ

と

き

し

ら

ず

Meanings

noun

summer-catch salmon

Refers to salmon caught in summer, especially off the coast of Hokkaido, before the autumn spawning run. The name literally means 'not knowing the season' because it appears out of season.

北ほっ海かい道どうでは、時鮭ときしらずは夏なつの味み覚かくとして人にん気きがある。
In Hokkaido, summer-catch salmon is popular as a summer delicacy.
市いち場ばでトキシラズを見みつけたら、ぜひ買かってみてください。
If you find summer-catch salmon at the market, please try buying it.

Kanji

時time, hour
鮭salmon
知know, wisdom

Related words

秋あき鮭ざけ
秋鮭 is autumn-catch salmon, the more common seasonal salmon, while 時鮭 is specifically the summer catch.
鮭さけ
鮭 is the general term for salmon; 時鮭 specifies the summer-caught variety.

Written forms

時鮭
- ときしらず
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading ときしらず is the most common.
- ときざけ
  Alternate reading ときざけ, restricted to the 時鮭 kanji form.
時ときしらず
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, also seen.
時とき知しらず
Full kanji spelling using 知; less common but valid.
とき知しらず
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; rarely used.
トキシラズ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling often used in market contexts.
トキザケ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling for the alternate reading ときざけ.
ときざけ

Etymology

The name 時知らず (literally 'not knowing the season') comes from the fact that this salmon is caught in summer, outside the typical autumn spawning season. The kanji 時鮭 is a compact representation of this meaning.