I came across an old photo of a tsukimi udon I ate at Toyama Station before the renovation. It was from a stand-up noodle shop located right between two train tracks on the platform, and I still remember how striking that experience was.

I hadn’t taken the photo with a digital camera, so when I digitized it later, I wondered—was the broth really that dark? I remember it being a gentler, light yellowish color, not quite so soy-sauce-heavy. The egg, though, was absolutely delicious.

Now the shop has seating, and the atmosphere seems completely different. After the station was rebuilt, I once walked around the area while visiting as a tourist—it was so crowded that I only managed to check out where the shop was. These days, Toyama’s seafood and sushi are well-known and highly rated, but back then they weren’t talked about nearly as much. I’m glad that now it’s easy to find photos and information about things like Tateyama Soba. I always had the impression of Toyama as more of an udon place, but it turns out most people were eating soba!

I haven’t been there in a while, so I’m sure there will be new discoveries next time I visit. A trip to Toyama is definitely something I’m looking forward to in the future.

Minamoto store

The shop is famous for Masu Zushi (ます寿司) — also known as Trout Sushi.

It’s a type of pressed sushi (oshi-zushi) made by layering vinegared rice and slices of trout (traditionally masu, a kind of salmon) inside a round, bamboo-leaf–lined wooden container. The layers are then pressed together, giving the sushi a firm texture and letting the flavors of the trout, vinegar, and bamboo leaves blend beautifully.