Food Culture

Salmon in Murakami

A large amount of salmon used to be caught in Murakami. But it started to decline in the middle of Edo period,
which caused financial crisis to Murakami Clan.
It was Buheiji Aoto, the feudal retainer, who hauled the Clan out of its crisis. He found out the migration method of salmon that they would come back to their mother river after certain years in the sea. So the Clan protected salmon. Since then Murakami has been known as a "salmon town".

Salmon in various dishes

Many of the households in Murakami make their own Shiobiki-zake (Shiobiki-salmon). It is also called "Toshitori-zakana", which means that you can get ready for the New Year when you eat Shiobiki-zake, so people eat it on the New Year's Eve.
Also, Sake-no-sakabitashi(salmon soaked in Japanese sake) is a popular dish. You make it by drying Shiobiki-zake until the rainy season starts in June. You slice it thinly and eat with some sliced ginger.
It is said that there are over 100 salmon dishes in Murakami.

Iyoboya Kaikan (salmon museum)

Going down to the basement floor of the kaikan(museum), there are glass walls in front of you, and through which you can enjoy the inside view of Miomote river's branch. From fall through winter, salmon swimming up the river can be seen.

You can observe traditional salmon fishing.

When salmon starts to come back. You can see the traditional fishing method "Iguriamiryo" using river boats in Miomote river.

Iguriamiryo

Ookawa river Kodoryo

Arakawa river Salmon Fishing