48 Hours in Himi, Japan
An extract from the Kanazawa Guide - words by Liz schaffer & photographs by Daisy Wingate-Saul
Stepping out into the dawn, the cold air prickles my skin – yet any discomfort vanishes the moment I hit the waterfront. The sun has just started to rise behind the serrated, snow-dusted Tateyama Mountain Range that watches over Toyama Bay, the hazy barrier between peaks and waves softened by a distant wall of sea mist. I’m struck by the beauty, the dreamy scene more fairytale than reality – and this isn’t even the main attraction.
I have come to Himi, on Toyama Prefecture’s west coast, to watch the Saturday auction at Himi Fishing Port, a weekly spectacle that doesn’t disappoint. Forklifts loaded with slipping and slopping boxes of squid and yellowtail (the fish of the season) zip this way and that, while Welly-wearing fishermen land their catch and herons watch on eager for scraps; the action soundtracked by an auctioneer whose low, melodic calls sound like ancient chants. I observe all this while braving the inevitable line for breakfast sashimi at the port’s restaurant, which may look unassuming, yet serves some of the country’s freshest fish.
To understand more about the region’s seafaring culture, I set sail aboard a traditional, open-top boat with a local fisherman in Shinminato Uchikawa, a 1,300-year-old port town famed for its charming, 3.4-kilometre-long, canal-like-river. Known as a ‘natural fish tank’, Toyama Bay reaches depths of 1,200 metres and is framed by the 3,000-metre-high Tateyama Mountains, which means there’s a dramatic 4,200 metre height difference in just 30 kilometres. This has resulted in a staggering amount of marine diversity – there are around 800 fish in the Sea of Japan, and in Toyama Bay you can catch 500 of them.
Later in the tour, I learn how to fillet freshly-caught bonito, and discover that sashimi you’ve sliced yourself tastes particularly delicious. If you’d rather leave the cooking to an expert, book a seat at Naruki, where music-manager-turned-chef Takimoto Naruki works his culinary magic – my meal starting with steamed abalone, the smooth, umami flavour enhanced with just a sprinkle of salt, and ending with ten pieces of sushi, shaped and presented individually, sans plate, on the counter before me. The hush that falls over the restaurant as each new morsel arrives hints at the reverence my fellow diners feel. We’re worshipping the church of fish and rice, and I’m completely devoted.
My final day in Himi unfolds by the water. I’m ensconced in HOUSEHOLD, a cafe by day and homely bolthole by night. Run by Shinya and Natsumi Sasakura, the building began life as a kimono shop, and the couple have preserved as many original details as possible. Kimono storage shelves brim with antiques, while the drawers of an old medicine cabinet contain foraged treasures, like pebbles gathered along the beach and drawn on to promote HOUSEHOLD’s regular exhibitions.
While I eat lunch, Natsumi explains that she loves chatting to Himi’s ojisan, older gentlemen with skills she lacks, like how to catch fish or draw out a morning routine. She’s even made a magazine about them, sharing their stories while encouraging readers to connect with those they might not normally open up to, and embrace the possibilities that come with these unexpected everyday encounters. So, feeling inspired, I decide to catch a later train back to Kanazawa and instead spend a few hours fishing for squid with the locals gatheraed at the end of the pier. With the light low and Toyama Bay spread out before us, who knows where our conversations will lead.
For more Japan inspiration, check out the Kanazawa Guide, or our Japan mag.
