Staying at a Fishermen’s Town Auberge and Savoring the Fish of Toyama Bay

The Shinminato district of Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture, has flourished as a port town since the Edo period.

Located along the Uchikawa River that runs through the town, the auberge AKAMA TOYAMA is a renovated former banya, a fishermen’s warehouse. Its unique appeal lies in its location, where fishing boats can pull up directly for check-in, and in its architecture, which opens generously toward the water. Whether dining, relaxing by the window or resting at the bedside, guests naturally feel the presence of the sea just beyond.

Caption: The view from the window. A fishing boat moored along the Uchikawa River can be seen. Across the river stands the private rental accommodation Mizube no Minka Hotel, and bars, cafés, and other commercial spaces are steadily emerging along the riverbanks.

On the first floor of the auberge, a live kitchen allows guests to enjoy the cuisine of chef, Fumiya Higuchi, while gazing through glass windows at the gentle flow of the Uchikawa River. His dishes showcase seasonal seafood landed in Toyama Bay, prepared with refined technique and sensitivity.

In addition to carefully crafted plates such as rice porridge with female snow crab, red snow crab thickened with powdered kudzu and lightly seared grunt, the menu features inventive creations rooted in local food culture. These include sushi rolls inspired by kurozukuri, a regional specialty made by salting and fermenting chopped bigfin reef squid with its ink and liver, as well as red snow crab candy made by solidifying essence extracted from crab shells.

As night deepens, guests may listen by the window to the quiet hum of fishing boats departing from the Uchikawa, visit nearby ports to observe the early morning fish auction or take part in seafood-focused workshops held at the fishing port’s challenge kitchen.

Caption: The morning fish auction at Shinminato Fishing Port.

From spending the evening along the Uchikawa River to awakening the next morning with the presence of the sea, AKAMA TOYAMA offers a seamless lodging experience in which time spent facing fish and immersing oneself in fish-based food culture flows without interruption.

Contact Information
AKAMA TOYAMA
Address: 1-3 Chuo-machi, Imizu City, Toyama, Japan
Contact: Inquiry form

Photo: Kenta Nakajima