Japan’s Secret Region For Ancient Culinary and Craft Traditions

Set within the storybook Echizen Washi Village, this cozy inn offers just three rooms, each themed after the raw materials of Japanese paper (Kozo, Mitsumata, and Gampi). Suku’s design is sleek and simple, and its streamlined aesthetic provides an immersive experience in this ancient setting. You can stroll along the narrow, quiet streets along the river and visit the nearly 40 paper-making workshops dotted around town.

where to eat and drink

You must have eaten ramen, but what about black ramen? For this unique specialty, a pit stop in Toyama is required. Nischico Taiki is an old-school, cash-only restaurant that started out making hearty meals of black ramen for post-World War II laborers. It gets its name from the dark broth made with heavily salted soy sauce and seasoned with pepper and garlic. Best paired with Asahi beer.

Toyama Sushi

Thanks to the deep waters of the Northern Alps and Toyama Bay, nutrient-rich runoff supports a diverse marine ecosystem and produces world-famous sushi. Whether you grab a quick bite at the train station or opt for an upscale setting, don’t leave Toyama without missing out on the raw fish.

Slurp up a comforting bowl of soba at this Michelin-rated restaurant in the Fukui prefecture. The local specialty is Echizen soba (buckwheat noodles with graded radish), served with hot buckwheat tea and cold dipping sauce.

Kanazawa Prefecture is one of Japan’s most famous sake-producing regions, thanks to its pure, soft spring water filtered from the nearby Hakusan Mountains, as well as its high-quality rice. Founded in 1625, this historic sake producer offers brewery tours and tastings for visitors keen to learn about junmai sake, a traditional method using only rice, water, yeast and aspergillus.