Toyama Travel & Toyama Tour

During the Edo period, the Toyama Domain was suffering from financial difficulties. The domain encouraged pharmaceutical manufacturing, and the second lord of the domain, Masafusa Maeda, developed the compound medicine "Hangontan" and developed the medicine sales business. There is an anecdote that when a lord of another domain suffered from stomach pain in Edo Castle, he was given Hangontan and recovered immediately, and feudal lords from various provinces were desperate to get their hands on it. At Ikeda-ya Yasubei Shoten, which still produces Hangontan, you can experience making traditional pills for free. However, it is surprisingly difficult to roll medicine! If you stop by Ikeda-ya Yasubei Shoten, please give it a try. Now, in connection with Toyama's medicine sales business that developed from Hangontan, glass medicine bottle production also became popular in the Meiji and Taisho periods, and Toyama became one of the leading "glass towns" in the country. Toyama is dotted with beautiful glass architecture, such as JR Toyama Station and the Toyama Glass Art Museum. In particular, at JR Toyama Station, the gateway to Toyama, the "Transit Lighting Wall" with its artistic glass and glass blocks embedded in the floors welcome tourists with their gorgeous lights. If you take a walk around the town paying attention to the glass, you'll be able to enjoy Toyama even more!!

In Toyama, where delicious seafood is caught, a unique kamaboko culture has developed. While half-moon-shaped kamaboko with a board is the norm nationwide, Toyama kamaboko does not have a board. The standard in Toyama is "maki kamaboko" made by wrapping kelp. During the Edo period, Toyama was a port of call for the Kitamae-bune trading ships that connected Hokkaido to Osaka. It is said that kamaboko made by combining kelp brought from Hokkaido with white fish caught in Toyama Bay was the beginning of "maki kamaboko". Toyama's kamaboko culture is still evolving! In recent years, rolled kamaboko made from brightly colored minced fish has been sold. It adds color to the table and is also a great addition to bento lunchboxes. In addition to rolled kamaboko, Toyama also has a culture of "crafted kamaboko". Colored fish paste is shaped into auspicious motifs such as sea bream and pine trees, and is used as wedding favors. Initially, it was a substitute for when sea bream could not be caught at the time of the celebration, but it gradually became a standard item for wedding favors. Some kamaboko factories in the prefecture offer experiences in making crafted kamaboko, so please come and experience this unique Toyama culture.