🕓 2023/6/12
#Gourmet
more

About gourmet food in Toyama Prefecture
Toyama Prefecture’s gourmet cuisine is characterized by a variety of dishes born from its rich natural environment and historical background. Toyama Prefecture has developed a food culture that takes advantage of the blessings of the mountains and sea, and local dishes such as Himi Udon, Masu Sushi, and Toyama Black are especially popular with tourists. Himi City is famous for its specialty, Himi Udon, and Toyama City’s Masu Sushi and Toyama Black Ramen are also known as traditional dishes made with plenty of local ingredients.
Additionally, since Toyama Prefecture faces the Sea of Japan, one of its major attractions is that you can enjoy plenty of fresh seafood. For example, in Himi City, many dishes are made with locally caught fish, and these dishes are loved not only by locals but also by tourists. The cuisine, which is made with local ingredients, symbolizes the depth of Toyama Prefecture’s food culture and is loved by many people.
3 carefully selected gourmet foods in Toyama Prefecture
1. Himi Udon

● The charm of Himi udon
Himi udon is a specialty of Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, and is known for its distinctive texture and flavor. Himi udon is characterized by flat, thin noodles made using a unique manufacturing method, and has a chewy texture and strong firmness. This udon is usually served with a simple noodle soup made with dried sardines from Himi. Enjoy its smooth texture and wheat flavor, and it is loved not only by locals but also by tourists.
Various restaurants in Toyama Prefecture offer a variety of dishes using Himi udon, and you can also enjoy pairing it with local ingredients. Himi udon is a gourmet dish that is loved by many people for its simple yet deep flavor. .
● Himi udonhistory of
Himi udon is a unique type of udon made in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, and is rated as one of the top three udon noodles in Japan. Its history dates back to 1751, when it adopted the hand-stretching method introduced from the Noto region. This method was originally used to make somen in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and was also used as a gift to the Kaga clan.
Several noodle factories in Himi City, including Takaokaya, make Himi udon using traditional “hand-made” and “hand-stretched” techniques. These udon noodles have a particularly strong chewiness and smooth texture, and are characterized by a unique texture that has been cultivated over a long history. Also known as Himi Ito Udon, the udon noodles made using a method unique to this region are highly praised both domestically and internationally, and are used in a variety of restaurants.
● If you want to eat Himi udon, this is the place! !
- Store name:Kappo Shigehama
- charm:
Founded in 1945 (Showa 20), this long-established kappo restaurant has been known for three generations for its ability to enjoy local cuisine made with fresh fish caught in Himi. This is a famous restaurant that is visited not only by local regulars but also by repeat customers from outside the prefecture.At the restaurant, you can enjoy not only Himi fish but also Himi Ito Udon. We offer “Kamaage Udon” and “Zaru Udon” where you can enjoy the chewy noodles and texture. Furthermore, the restaurant’s recommended “Udon and Mini Seafood Bowl Set” is a combination of their signature seafood and Himi Ito Udon.
The interior of the restaurant has a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere, and you can enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine and udon noodles in a cozy space full of local feel. Additionally, there is often a sign at the entrance of the restaurant that says “Today we are open by reservation only,” so reservations are essential, especially if you are visiting for Kanburi.
- Access: Approximately 17 minutes walk from JR Himi Station
- Address: 2-18 Marunouchi, Himi City, Toyama Prefecture
- Google Map:https://maps.app.goo.gl/rSCzPqyuFMZoNb3G6
2. Masu Sushi
● The appeal of Masuno sushi
Masu sushi (masu sushi) is a typical local dish of Toyama Prefecture, and is pressed sushi made using cherry salmon. This sushi has a perfect combination of rice flavor and fish flavor, and its unique taste is loved by many people. Masu sushi is made using the traditional method of grating fresh cherry salmon into three pieces, seasoning them with vinegar, and wrapping them in bamboo leaves. In Toyama Prefecture, the deep flavor unique to Masuno sushi is created by using local rice and special vinegar.
There are many stores in Toyama City that serve Masu Sushi, each of which maintains its own unique manufacturing method while adding new variations to offer a variety of tastes. For example, Yoshidaya Masu Sushi Honpo offers a wide variety of masu sushi while maintaining the same manufacturing methods since its founding.From traditional single and double sushi to easy-to-eat stick sushi, there are a variety of choices.
● Trout sushihistory of
Masu sushi (masu sushi) is a traditional local dish of Toyama prefecture, and its origins date back to the Edo period. This dish is known in the form of pressed sushi made with cherry salmon and seasoned with vinegar. In the early Edo period, sushi using trout was developed based on the ayu sushi created by Shinpachi Yoshimura, a retainer of the Toyama clan. Particularly famous is the episode in which it was presented to the feudal lord Toshioki Maeda during the Kyoho era, and is said to have been well-received by the Tokugawa shogun Yoshimune.
By salting the trout and wrapping it in bamboo leaves, the flavor of the trout harmonizes with the sourness of the vinegared rice, and it has also been used as a preserved food. Starting in 1912, Masu sushi began to be sold as an ekiben and spread throughout the country. Even now, many stores around Toyama City serve it with their own unique flavors and styles, and it is loved not only by locals but also by tourists.
● If you want to eat trout sushi, this is the place.! !
- Store name:Kawakami Masu Sushi Shop
- charm:
Kawakami Masu Sushi Shop is open from 6:30 a.m. and is loved by tourists and locals alike. It is easily accessible, just a 10-minute walk from JR Toyama Station in Toyama City, and is perfect for visiting while strolling along the nearby Matsukawa River. This restaurant, which has been in business for almost 100 years, is known for its high-quality ingredients and handmade trout sushi made with love.The charm of this restaurant lies in its handmade trout sushi. The trout is thickly sliced and marinated in a special sweet and sour sauce, resulting in a juicy, semi-rare texture. Furthermore, we use rice from Toyama Prefecture and carefully cook each grain so that each grain is glossy, sweet, and elastic. The combination of rice and trout creates an exquisite flavor.
- Address: 1-2-6 Marunouchi, Toyama City
- Access: 154m from Marunouchi Station
- Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uBaRwNHQASXSCu1G9
3. Toyama Black

● Toyama Blackcharm of
Toyama black ramen is known as a local gourmet dish representing Toyama prefecture due to its rich and distinctive taste. This ramen is particularly distinctive for its pitch-black soup, which earned it the name “black” because of its color and strong flavor. The color of this soup is based on dark soy sauce, and it has a strong flavor. The noodles are generally medium thick and curly, creating a unique texture when intertwined with the rich soup.
When enjoying it, it is generally eaten with raw eggs or rice. Mixing raw eggs into the soup gives it a milder flavor, which goes great with rice. It is not only loved by locals but also recommended by tourists. There are many locally popular ramen shops, and you can enjoy slightly different flavors at each shop.
● Toyama Blackhistory of
Toyama Black Ramen is said to have been created in the 1950s at the ramen shop “Daiki” in Toyama City. This type of ramen was especially intended to be eaten by workers to provide energy, so it is characterized by its strong flavor and high salt content. The name Toyama Black comes from the very dark color of the soup. Originally, it had a strong flavor based on soy sauce, and a large amount of black pepper was often added. This ramen is known for its salty and strong peppery flavor, and its unique taste is loved by people.
It gradually became known not only in its hometown of Toyama, but also nationwide, and is now available at many ramen shops. It is also sold as cup noodles, allowing more people to enjoy its unique taste. It has a strong presence as a local ramen that represents Toyama.
● If you want to eat Toyama Black, this is the place! !
- Store name:Toyama Black Birthplace “Daiki” Nishimachi Main Store
- charm:
“Daiki” is known as the birthplace of Toyama Black, and is a historic ramen restaurant founded in 1947. Toyama Black was born during the post-war reconstruction period when the restaurant began serving ramen with a strong soy sauce flavor to provide salt for manual laborers. The atmosphere inside the store remains unchanged since its founding, allowing you to experience the historical background of Toyama.Toyama Black’s characteristic rich soy sauce flavor and thick noodles have a satisfying texture, and its role as a “side dish” sought after by workers at the time continues to this day. Its richness and saltiness, recognized by the people of Toyama Prefecture, provide a unique experience that cannot be enjoyed anywhere else.
- Access: 3 minutes walk from “Nishimachi” tram stop
- Address: 1-1-7 Otaguchi Street, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture
- Google Map:https://maps.app.goo.gl/BuKdqrVddU5yxc618



