Photograph: Rachel Yohannan for Time Out / Itaya Honten
Here’s why more food-loving Singaporean travellers should explore this less-frequented area in the Hokuriku region
Written by Rachel Yohannan
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If you’re a repeat visitor to Japan – as many other Singaporeans are by now – then you probably have some favourites on your must-eat list for each trip. But instead of queueing for ages at Ichiran Ramen, batting the hordes at Dotonbori’s street stalls, or going back to the same old fast food chains for the umpteenth time, it’s high time to venture out of the usual big cities and try something new for a change; We’re talking about exploring Japan’s less-frequented regions in search of the best gastronomical treasures that are unique to each area.
Doing that doesn’t have to be a daunting task either, because things just got a lot more convenient with the newly extended Hokuriku Shinkansen route that takes you along the Hokuriku region – covering prefectures like Ishikawa, Fukui, and Toyama. The best part? Hokuriku is easily accessiblefrom Tokyo, so you can book a flight from Singapore tothe capital and traverse up to these hidden gems.
Excited to escape from the tourist crowds, we hopped onto the high-speed Hokuriku bullet train and had a satisfying foodie adventure in Ishikawa prefecture, where we uncovered the local delights of Kanazawa, Noto, and Kaga. From the freshest and widest variety of seafood, to a highly rare breed of wagyu, and traditional sweets made using age-old recipes, here are the best things to eat in Ishikawa, Japan.
P.S.: Food in Ishikawa aside, stay till the end to check out our recommendations for other things to do in the Hokuriku region for an all-rounded trip itinerary.
RECOMMENDED: Here are six underrated neighbourhoods to visit in TokyoandNine must-try snacks to buy back from Tokyo
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What to eat in Ishikawa, Japan
Feast on the freshest snow crab and more at Omicho Market
Thanks to its coastal location, Ishikawa is the place to be for some of the freshest seafood in Japan. Deeper waters also means a larger variety of marine fare that you might not find in other regions. Check out the freshest catch of the day at Kanazawa’s Omicho Market. Locals get their seafood from the market stalls on the first floor, while the second floor is full of restaurants operated by the market vendors themselves. There’s also a handful of shops selling non-seafood items including flame-grilled wagyu skewers, earl grey beer, and the famous gold leaf soft serve ice cream.
Crab season starts in November and lasts until the end of the year for female crab, and till March for male crab. Other hot items here include the sweet and fatty nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), yellowtail, gasu shrimp, and amaebi (sweet shrimp).
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TIME OUT TIP Breakfast or lunch would be a good time to visit as the market closes at 5pm.
Omicho Market
📍50 Kamiomicho, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0905, Japan
⏰Daily 9am-5pm (varies according to store)
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Savour juicy Noto beef, a rare premium breed of wagyu
Mention wagyu and the first thing that comes to mind is probably Kobe beef, but even more prized than that is the rare Noto beef from Ishikawa’s Noto Peninsula, said to have the most ideal environment in Japan to raise healthy, happy cattle. As Noto is small, there’s a limit as to how much Noto beef can be produced every year, so it typically isn’t even exported to other prefectures within the country – that’s just how rare it is.
One restaurant where you can enjoy Noto beef steak in Ishikawa isatTeraoka Fusha (てらおか風舎), which has its own farm in Noto with free-roaming cows and even won the Wagyu Olympics once. Each mouthful of the flavour-packed steak bursts with juiciness, and this creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture – sans greasiness – is one of the top characteristics of this beef. But words can only do so much – you’ll just have to try it yourself to fully understand what we mean.
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For Noto beef in yakiniku form, visit Nikusho Jade Kanazawa (肉匠Jade金澤), where you can choose your preferred cuts and barbecue them yourself in a traditional Japanese setting. We recommend the value-for-money lunch set which comes with meat, rice, miso soup, pickles and salad.
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Try the famous komokaburi by family-run wagashi store Itaya Honten
Kanazawa is the place to unleash your sweet tooth in full force, because the city is known for its wagashi (Japanese sweets). Take a walk around and you’ll probably encounter shops selling mochi, dorayaki, rakugan and the like, but we say, head straight to Itaya Honten.
The business – now manned by its fourth generation – is famous for its komokaburi (こもかぶり), a unique confection filled with red bean paste and a whole chestnut, and topped with seaweed.It’s an original creation that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in Japan.To truly experience the crispy crunch of its exterior, we'd recommend taking a bite on-site, while it's still fresh.Come between 9am and 4.30pm, and you mighteven catch one of their wagashi craftsmen deftly making the komokaburi fresh and hot on the spot.
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TIME OUT TIP Itaya Honten is walking distance from Kanazawa Castle Park, so grab some sweets to go and have a picnic amidst nature.
Itaya Honten (板屋本店)
📍10-18 Oyamamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0918, Japan
⏰ Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat: 9am-5.30pm (closed on Weds and Sun)
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Enjoy sake pairings at Fukumitsuya, Kanazawa’s oldest sake brewery
With beginnings that can be traced all the way back to 1625, Fukumitsuya Sake Brewery is not just the oldest sake brewery in Kanazawa – it’s also one of the few that makes only junmai sake, that is, sake that’s made from just rice, koji, and water without any added sugar or additives. On top of that, the water used here is a mineral-rich 100-year-old blessed water all the way from Mount Hakusan, retrieved from a well on-site. All these serve to create a better fermentation process and a fuller, richer flavour.
Sign up for a guided tour of the brewery for a firsthand look of the whole process from grain to bottle. You’ll probably be yearning for a sip after that, so it’s just as well that Fukumitsuya also hosts informative sake tasting sessions in English from just JPY1,100 (less than SGD10). Make your reservation here.
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Sake Shop Fukumitsuya Kanazawa
📍 2 Chome-8-3 Ishibiki, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0935, Japan
⏰ Daily 10am-6pm
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Peek into a lively evening fish auction at Hashitate Fishing Port
You’ve heard of the famous fish auctions at Tokyo’s Toyosu Fish Market (previously Tsukiji), but Hashitate Fishing Port in Kaga offers a less touristy alternative with a more close-up view. The best part? You don’t have to haul yourself down at 5am, because all the fun happens in the evening. This is so that the middlemen in the seafood trade can bid for their catch in time for it to be transported to markets in other parts of Japan, including Tokyo, by dawn.
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You won’t actually be able to enter the market as that would require special access, but you can still peer in from the outside for a good eyeful of the action. We reckon you’d be able to get a better view here than when jostling with the crowds at Toyosu.
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TIME OUT TIP Plan your visit with some buffer time to admire a gorgeous sunset by the waters.
Hashitate Fishing Port (橋立漁港)
📍Ko 181, Oshiomachi, Kaga, Ishikawa 922-0553, Japan
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Other prefectures to explore in the Hokuriku region
Things to do in Fukui
Fukui is known as the dinosaur capital of Japan, as a majority of the country’s fossils were uncovered there. Aside from marvelling at prehistoric treasures at the dinosaur museum, escape from city life and take things slow in Awara Onsen, a charming hot spring town within the prefecture.
Rent a hakama from Bachu Gofukuten and soak your feet in the free 24-hour footbaths at Awara Onsen Ashiyu, or get a relaxing full-body dip at Sentopia Awara, a public bath facility where you can also make your own onsen eggs. While there, drop by Darumaya for lacquer souvenirs and its specialty donrin – a unique wafer sandwich dessert filled with red bean paste and castella fruit cake.
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Things to do in Toyama
Culture vultures who want to dive deep into Japan’s age-old customs, preserved in a modern world, should put Toyama on their lists. Learn about the history of the 400-year-old Murakami Family Residence – one of Japan’s oldest gassho-style thatched roof houses – and witness a traditional kokiriko-bushi folk song and dance ritual, which was performed in the pastas a prayer for good harvest. Or visit Matsui Silk Weaving, a silk weaver that conducts tours for curious folk to see how the silk harvesting, spinning, and dyeing process happens before it transforms into beautiful fabric goods.
If you’re interested in Japanese festivals, visit Johana Hikiyama Festival Floats Museum to admire intricate towering matsuri floats which are now restored and maintained by a 16th generation local URUSHI Artist. Alternatively, head closer to the sea with Uozu’s Tatemon Festival in August, where locals come to pray for the safe return of their loved ones who venture out to sea. Tourists are welcome to partake in Uozu’s float-pulling too, so go on and join in on the fun with locals after a fireworks show!
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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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