2020-03-01_Wanderlust

wanderlust.co.uk March 2020 149

snowcrabstooystersthatshine

likepearls.Grabaselectionof

ready-to-eatsashimitogo,or

takeyourfresh-boughtseafood

tothecharcoalgrillsinthe

middleofthemarket,whereyou

cancookupalunchthatsizzles.

Niigata’scloserelationship

withtheseahasresultedin

otherbountytoo.Inthe1800s

• thankstoamaritimeshipping
  routeknownastheKitamaebune


• NiigatabecamelinkedtoKyoto
  inthesouth,withthetwocities
  exchangingingredients,culinary
  techniquesandculture.This
  heavilyinfluencedNiigata’s
  gastronomicstyle,resulting
  indisheslikenoppeijirusoup–
  adailystapleavailableinmany
  localrestaurants–where
  colourfulvegetablesand
  seafoodwerefinelychoppedin
  thetraditionalKyotostyle,but
  servedinsoupformtokeep

NIIGATA

SEASENSATIONS

Niigataisrenownedforits

seafood.Thisportcityfacesthe

SeaofJapan,wherean

abundanceoffishsurgethrough

thewarmandcoldcurrentsthat

collideinthewater.Atthecity’s

PiaBandaiMarket–oneofthe

largestfishmarketsontheeast

coast–youcanseehundreds

ofvarietiesofseafoodlaidout

everymorning,fromgiantred

Foodforthought

(clockwisefromleft)Abowlof

noppeijirusoup;shojin-ryori

cuisine;Yamabushimonksmake

thepilgrimagetoDewaSanzan;

experiencePiaBandaiMarket;

seeGeigiperformatSaitoVilla.

TSURUOKA

MOUNTAIN HIGHS

The city of Tsuruoka, by

contrast, didn't receive Kyoto’s

grand influence. Instead, this

rural, mountainous region

adopted a more simplistic

approach to cuisine. Harsh

winters meant locals had to find

innovative ways to preserve

their mountain vegetables,

which is why dozens of varieties

of tsukemono (pickles) are so

prevalent in all the restaurants

today. Now they’re eaten as

Tsuruoka’s finest delicacies –

but for centuries they

represented survival.

It is thanks to this uniquely

uncomplicated food culture that

Tsuruoka was designated

a UNESCO Creative City of

Gastronomy: the only city in

Japan to achieve such a feat.

The locals take a single, basic

ingredient and transform it into

something special. Nowhere is

this more noticeable than in the

collection of colourful dishes

that form shojin-ryori – the

traditionally vegetarian meal

of Yamabushi (monks) that

Tsuruoka has become famed for.

The region is also home to

three of Japan’s most sacred

mountains – a Japan Heritage

O

n the north-east

coast of

Japan, where

mountains roll

into rice fields

and waves crash on sandy

shores, two historical cities

stand out for their gastronomic

delights. Harbourside Niigata

and mountainous Tsuruoka –

located in the Tohoku region

of Japan, a few hours from Tokyo

by train – have a very different

culinary style, but both approach

cuisine in a way that celebrates

the farmlands, oceans and

mountains that surround them.

The cities may be 140km apart,

but their commitment to the

country’s natural abundance

unites them in reputation: as

true culinary capitals of Japan.

people warm through Niigata’s

chilling winters.

This maritime trade route also

brought with it another cultural

gem: Geigi, Niigata’s equivalent

of Kyoto’s Geisha, complete

with their white-powdered

faces and vibrant kimonos. The

rich new population travelling

from the south needed rich new

means of entertainment, and

so the Geigi thrived; and with

them, the restaurants and

teahouses that the Geigi

frequented. You can still

experience this special cultural

spectacle to this day. At Saito

Villa – a traditional Japanese

house set among maple trees

and bamboo groves – you can

spend time in the company

of the Geigi, with traditional

songs, dance and games to be

enjoyed while the koi carp swim

lazily in the pond outside.

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Tourism Department Tsuruoka City O
ice & Niigata City O
ice

For more information go to nvcb.or.jp/travelguide/en/ or tsuruokacity.com