Due to Hokuriku’s proximity to the Sea of Japan, seafood is the area’s strong suit. Zeniya, in Kanazawa, is a standout for its kaiseki-ryori, a ceremonial Japanese cuisine made up of a succession of small, largely fish-centric courses such as sashimi, broiled fish, and custards, accompanied by seasonal ingredients like roots and blossoms. In adherance to tradition, chef Shinichiro Takagi banishes soy sauce from the table, adding it in the cooking process instead.

If sushi is more to your taste, try Kazawaza Nobusushi, also in Kanazawa, whose menu of just-caught fish is enhanced by regional delicacies like intensely flavourful shrimp miso.

Umi no Kami Yama no Kami, right across the street from Toyama City’s castle, is a cozy top-notch izakaya, or traditional Japanese pub. Among its wide range of offerings are grilled fish like shishamo (smelt) and excellent sashimi and sakes; sit at the long bar and you can watch it all being made.

Here is a selection of our picks for a taste of Horkuriku's food culture:

Yamato Soy Sauce & Miso Brewery
Restaurant Zeniya
Jyugatsuya
Kazuma Sake Brewery
Kaneishi squid sauce producer
Wooke rice factory