Toyama Seafood

Posted on May 6, 2007 by Adam R.

Our area in Japan being Toyama Prefecture, offers up some bizarre seafood, along with some of the best tasting seafood I have ever eaten. Toyama Wan is the source of this bounty and there are some truly strange creatures inhabiting its nutrient rich watrers.

Toyama Bay is the deepest bay in Japan at a depth of one-thousand meters and has several species only found within it's waters.

Seafood sourced from Toyama Bay is much sought after produce throughout Japan and is served up in the thousands of restaurants locally also. Toyama Seafood Market located at Minatoirihune-cho, Toyama City is well worth a visit to see the vast array of local seafood or buy something to cook at home. As usual there are countless stalls serving up freshly cooked seafood at the market so cancel your plans for lunch elsewhere.

Only a five minute walk from JR Toyama station, Toyama Seafood Market is a great place to spend about two hours and guarantees the freshest seafood in the prefecture of Toyama.

Native to Namerikawa are Hotaruika (Firefly Squid), which are bioluminescent and a visit to the Hotaruika museum is an amazing experience as well as educational. To me I would rather see them left alive, as they are one amazing creature with their luminescent flashes of turquoise electric blue. Being extremely popular with locals of Namerikawa, Hotaruika are a specialty in the local Izakaiya and Seafood restaurants as well as a regular item on the menu in many Namerikawa homes.

http://www.hotaruikamuseum.com

http://www.hotaruika.co.jp

Another local delicacy is Shiroebi (White Prawns) that are actually what we call shrimp back in Australia. These are only in season for around four to six weeks so are in high demand by locals, throughout Japan and also internationally.

Sashimi is the main dish prepared with Shiroebi although deep fried (Karaage) is also popular amongst locals in Toyama. Shiroebi sushi is becoming popular around the world and has seen exports of Shiroebi, which are native to Toyama Bay increase steadily every year.

http://www.shiroebi.com

Sashimi in Toyama is to die for and I have never met a seafood lover who regretted going to Toyama, one of Japan’s well kept secrets from gaijinJapanese word meaning "outsider" commonly used to describe foreigners. Considered somewhat impolite. Seafood connoisseurs. If you can’t get to Toyama to try its fresh seafood ask your local fishmonger or resturants for recommendations on any seafood they carry originating from Toyama Wan.