Exploring Local Sushi: Toyama
- Junna.K
- Jun 13
- 4 min read
Konnichiwa! I'm Junna, a sushi instructor! Today, I'll be introducing local sushi from Japan. I recently visited Toyama Prefecture.
Toyama Prefecture is a scenic region located in central Japan, surrounded by the majestic mountains of the Japanese Alps and the beautiful coastline of Toyama Bay.
As one of the key prefectures in the Hokuriku region, Toyama is an area where traditional food culture harmonizes with modern industry. It is particularly known for its tourist attractions such as the World Heritage Gokayama Gassho-style villages and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
The climate has distinct four seasons, and in winter, it becomes a heavy snow zone characteristic of the Sea of Japan coast. This rich natural environment enables the cultivation of delicious rice and provides fresh seafood, including cherry salmon.
Toyama is also famous as a medicine town, with the traditional "Toyama Medicine Peddlers" business practice continuing since the Edo period. Today, it is a hub for the pharmaceutical industry and advanced drug development.
This time, I visited "Shoemon Ganso Sekinoya." It's about a 15 minutes walk from JR Toyama Station. The small shop has a kitchen in the back, where staff pack sushi into round magewappa boxes daily.
Shoemon Ganso Sekinoya
Sekinoya is a long-established sushi restaurant with over 140 years of history, still preserving traditional preparation methods. Since the post-war period, they have exclusively sold pressed sushi. They sell Toyama's local specialty "masu-zushi" (trout sushi), with their flagship product being trout sushi called "Masu no Sushi." They only offer takeout service.
The sushi is made by laying bamboo leaves at the bottom of a magewappa (bent wood) box, placing cherry trout and vinegared rice (with the trout on the bottom), and wrapping it in bamboo leaves. They also sell single and double-layer versions, mini-sized portions with just two pieces, and frozen options.
What is Masu-zushi?
About Masu(Trout)
Trout is a general term for fish belonging to the salmon family and is one of the important fish species inhabiting Japanese rivers and lakes. Their main habitat is in rivers from Hokkaido to Honshu, and they particularly prefer cold regions. In Japan, the main varieties found are Cherry Salmon (Sakuramasu), Amago, Iwana (Char), and Rainbow Trout. Cherry Salmon predominantly inhabits rivers on the Sea of Japan side and is known for its spring upstream migration, while Amago is a small trout that lives in mountain streams in central and western Honshu. Iwana is a cold-water fish representative of Japanese mountain streams, and Rainbow Trout is widely farmed throughout the country.
There are numerous ways to prepare trout. The most common method is salt-grilling, which allows you to directly taste the trout's natural umami, and fresh trout is also excellent as sashimi. Other popular preparations include smoked trout similar to smoked salmon, tsukudani (a traditional preserved food where you can eat the bones), and grilled with salt which is a staple when stream fishing, as well as bone sake. Thus, trout is known as one of the most delicious freshwater fish and holds an important place in Japanese food culture. Furthermore, it is highly popular as a target for stream fishing and is widely enjoyed as a recreational activity.
Toyama's trout sushi originated in the mid-Edo period and is said to have developed as a tribute dish to the domain lord, the Maeda family. Due to its preservability and appealing appearance, it became widely popular as a travel souvenir and gift item. In old Toyama, cherry salmon (sakuramasu) was reportedly an important fish species. Several large rivers flow through Toyama Prefecture, including the Jinzuu River (Jinzuugawa) and Kurobe River, which served as spawning return routes for cherry salmon.
Cherry salmon is in season from March to May, and one theory suggests they are called "sakuramasu" (cherry salmon) because they return to their mother rivers during cherry blossom season.
Trout sushi is a type of pressed sushi, and Sekinoya's trout sushi uses vinegared rice and naturally caught cherry salmon preserved in vinegar.
As it was originally eaten as a preserved food, even today it can still keep for about 5 days at room temperature.
Characteristics of Sekinoya's Masu Sushi "Masu no Sushi"
Uses wild cherry salmon from Hokkaido. All parts of the fish are used, including the belly, back, and tail portions.
Vinegared rice made with Toyama-grown Koshihikari rice, highlighting its natural sweetness and chewy texture.
Characterized by handcrafted flavors, aged using traditional methods preserved for 140 years.
Trying Different Soy Sauces with Trout Sushi
・White Soy Sauce (Shiro) / Isegura
About the brewery: Founded in 1914, this five-generation family business produces and sells soy sauce and miso along the Tokaido in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture. They take pride in brewing tamari unique to the Tokai region, maintaining traditional soy sauce and miso production methods while continuing to evolve with the times.
It served as an excellent supporting role in enhancing the cherry salmon's flavor.
・Extreme Cold Brew Hokuriku (Dark) / Hata Brewery
About the brewery: Founded in 1929, producing naturally brewed soy sauce in Toyama Prefecture. The koji made in Japan's only brick-built koji room uses traditional methods that have continued for about 100 years, bringing out the umami of the soy sauce.
→I enjoyed this local sushi with local soy sauce, reflecting on its traditional production methods and history.
・Three-Year Aged Soy Sauce (Saishikomi) / Morita Brewery
About the brewery: Founded in 1834, this established soy sauce brewery in Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture, is known for using Tamba black soybeans in their soy sauce production. They produce high-quality soy sauce by combining traditional methods with modern technology. Their saishikomi soy sauce is aged for over 3 years, resulting in a product with deep umami and rich aroma.
→I could taste the soybean umami while enjoying the sushi, with neither flavor overpowering the other. The soy sauce taste was slightly strong.
・Nagara (Tamari) / Yamakawa Brewery
About the brewery: Founded in 1772, this long-established brewery in Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture. Using the clear waters of the Nagara River, high-quality groundwater, and carefully selected domestic ingredients, they produce tamari soy sauce using traditional methods. Tamari soy sauce is characterized by concentrated soybean umami with a rich, deep flavor.
→Rather than pouring it on, it was delicious when applied lightly with a brush!
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