Event 'Fishermen's Gathering at Toyama Shinminato Fishing Port!' Showcases Toyama's Seafood | Sea to Plate PJ Supports Hokuriku Region Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-date: May 08 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Event 'Fishermen's Gathering at Toyama Shinminato Fishing Port!' Showcases Toyama's Seafood | Sea to Plate PJ Supports Hokuriku Region

We attended the event "Fishermen's Gathering at Toyama Shinminato Fishing Port!" organized by the non-profit organization "Fisheries Association," held on March 31, 2024, at Minato Kitchen, a shared kitchen located in Shinminato Fishing Port, Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture. A total of 16 participants from Toyama Prefecture and Tokyo enjoyed dishes made with fresh seafood from Toyama Bay, such as firefly squid from Namerikawa, yellowtail from Himi, and spring kelp from Shinminato. Additionally, there was a commentary corner on shrimp fishing by fishermen affiliated with Shinminato Fishermen's Cooperative, deepening our understanding of Toyama's seafood.

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The organization "Fisheries Association," which hosted the event, is a non-profit corporation that supports the high added value of marine resources and fisheries management. They hold events such as fishing experiences and seafood events, aiming to connect fishermen with consumers and enhance the value of fisheries nationwide.

Following the Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day this year, Keisuke Konishi, the representative director of the Fisheries Association, proposed to Hiroshi Akashi, who operates Minato Kitchen, the venue for this event, "Is there anything we can do for the fisheries in Hokuriku?" With the aim of supporting the recovery from the 2024 Okunoto earthquake as well, they organized "Fishermen's Gathering at Toyama Shinminato Fishing Port!"

Near Toyama Shinminato Fishing Port is the shared kitchen, "Minato Kitchen." From Tokyo, editors-in-chief of web media and women's magazines, wine importers, and university professors attended. From Toyama, participants included fishermen, the proprietress of a sake brewery, employees of Imizu City Hall, and the manager of a foundry in Takaoka, representing diverse fields. The event garnered significant attention, with many local media outlets, such as television stations and newspapers, covering the event.

Mr. Konishi, the organizer, mentioned, "We've heard that the areas deep in Noto are still largely untouched, with many places still not fully recovered. While Shinminato didn't suffer a major blow, there were periods when the fishing port couldn't be used, contributing to a somewhat gloomy atmosphere, especially concerning tourism. Although not widely covered in national news, areas like Shinminato have experienced liquefaction, ground subsidence, uplift, and house collapses. Additionally, we've heard that tourists stopped coming after the earthquake. With these considerations in mind, we wanted to see if there was something we could do together, leading to the organization of this event."

Mr. Keisuke Konishi, the representative director of Fisheries Association.

Before enjoying the dishes, there was a commentary corner about Toyama's ingredients. Using a projector, Kazuhiro Noguchi from the "Toyama Bay Shiroebi Club," composed of fishermen from Shinminato Fishermen's Cooperative, gave a presentation about shrimp fishing in Toyama.

Mr. Kazuhiro Noguchi from the "Toyama Bay Shiroebi Club".

Toyama Bay is blessed with a variety of fish species, often referred to as a "natural fish tank." Among the well-known species are firefly squid, yellowtail, shiroebi (white shrimp), and red snow crab (red king crab). Among these, shiroebi, which was just opened for fishing on April 1st, is often called the "jewel of Toyama Bay" due to its transparent beauty. To preserve such treasures of Toyama Bay, it's mentioned that Shinminato's shiroebi fishing boats have introduced a "pooling system."

"The pooling system involves dividing into two teams during the shiroebi fishing season, operating on alternate days, pooling the total catch amount, and distributing the proceeds equally among all ships," explained Mr. Noguchi. This helps restrain excessive fishing competition, prevent resource depletion, and ensure the protection of sustainable resources.

For about four years until recently, Mr. Shigehiko Amiya, who served as the chairman of the Toyama City Fisheries Cooperative and was a shiroebi fisherman, was cooking in the kitchen, along with Kaori Matsui, a native of Toyama who is knowledgeable about Toyama's culinary culture and serves as a director of the Fisheries Association, and Miho Matsuda, also a director of the Fisheries Association and a chef.

The ingredients we enjoyed on this day included firefly squid from Namerikawa, yellowtail from Himi, shiroebi from Shinminato, spring kelp from Shinminato, and underutilized fish such as white flounder. Let me introduce the dishes we had.

Deep-fried Shinminato Shiroebi

Morning Fresh Firefly Squid and Shinminato Spring Kelp Shabu-Shabu

Himi Yellowtail Ham

Assorted Sashimi

"Deep-fried White Flounder" and "White Flounder with Shiso Leaves Roll"

"Simmered White Flounder Roe"

As a finishing touch, we were served mashed fish miso soup alongside Toyama rice with black miso and black grated yam.

Not only was the freshness of the ingredients outstanding, but also learning about the seafood from Toyama through explanations enhanced the enjoyment of the dishes. Moreover, the white flounder we tried for the first time used to be an underutilized fish until a few years ago. However, thanks to the skillful cooking techniques of the fishermen, we were able to discover the deliciousness of this new ingredient.

Accompanying the deep-fried shiroebi was "SAYSFARM CIDRE" from SAYS FARM, a dry cider.

Additionally, we enjoyed delicious sake paired with the dishes. Ms. Chizuko Hane, the proprietress of Haneya, also joined us and treated us to some precious sake.

Ms. Chizuko Hane, the proprietress of "Haneya".

Ms. Chizuko Hane treated us to "Junmai Ginjo Kogeka," "Junmai Ginjo Kasumizake," and "Junmai Ginjo Dewasansan."

"Over in Noto, there has been severe damage to the fishing industry, to the extent of the fishing ports disappearing due to ground upheaval. However, we hope to support the recovery efforts gradually by collaborating with fisheries producers and related partners in Hokuriku, focusing on branding, expanding sales channels, and developing food events and tourism," Mr. Konishi shared.

Additionally, the following day, April 1st, happened to be the opening day of the Shiroebi fishing season! Shiroebi fishing, specialized for this species, is conducted only in Toyama Bay nationwide.

The scene at Shinminato Fishing Port on the opening day of the shiroebi fishing season.

The first shiroebi of the year. As soon as the first boat returned to the port, it was immediately put up for auction.

The shiroebi fishing season, which began on April 1st, peaks around July to August, during the summer.

On this day, at Shinminato Fishing Port, four fishing boats set out for fishing grounds about 2 kilometers offshore before dawn. The first boat returned around 7 am.

Regarding this year's catch, Shunichi Shiotani, the chairman of the Shinminato Fisheries Cooperative, commented, "It's been quite good for the first day. The size is around 5 to 6 centimeters, with some reaching about 8 centimeters."

This transparency is a rare sight that can only be seen at the fishing port.

Using Toyama prefecture's ingredients in dishes outside the prefecture is delicious, but the dishes made with morning-fresh ingredients enjoyed on-site are truly exceptional.

To support the recovery of Hokuriku, visiting areas like Shinminato that welcome tourists, experiencing the local cuisine, staying overnight, and using transportation all contribute to the support effort. I encourage everyone to visit the culinary treasure trove of Toyama and indulge in a "delicious journey."

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.