Iwase: Shipping-Agent Houses, Sake and Triangular Dorayaki in a Toyama Port Town

Higashi-Iwase, in the north of Toyama City, flourished as a port of call for the Kitamaebune trading ships, and the merchant town they left behind is what you come to see. Its townscape is described as nostalgic and quiet, and as changing little by little. It is a port town where historic streets and modern renovation sit together, with restaurants, local sweets and sake breweries gathered in the same old townscape. The walk below runs from the shipping-agent street to the sake shops and the food, and ends at the canal, the beach and the harbor viewing platform.

Walking the Old Shipping-Agent Street

Start on the old Hokkoku Kaido, also called Omachi-dori, where the houses of shipping-agent merchants who prospered in the Kitamaebune trade stand in a row and keep the look of that time. Storehouses and shipping-agent buildings are scattered through the townscape, keeping the traces of the Kitamaebune port town.

Retro buildings and new shops sit side by side in the walking area centred on the old Hokkoku Kaido. Galleries, shops, cafes and bars have appeared inside historic buildings, and renovated shipping-agent storehouses are increasingly used as restaurants, sake shops and artists' studios.

Walking here is described as bringing a nostalgic sense, and the town itself is described as a quiet and retro port town. Iwase has flourished as a Kitamaebune port town since the Edo period, and the renovated merchant houses, galleries and local gourmet shops are where that history is still in use. If you want a walk that mixes old and new, start on this street; with little time, it covers the merchant-town side of Iwase on its own.

Merchant Houses: Baba House and the Closed Mori House

The Mori house, a Kitamaebune shipping-agent house on the main street, is closed until its seismic reinforcement work is completed. The Baba house, also a shipping-agent house, can be visited.

The Baba house has a tooriniwa earthen passage and a hall of thirty-three tatami mats, the oi, which are described as quietly conveying the bustle and formality of the past.

The viewing platform at the harbor, Iwase Canal Hall, the Mori house and the Baba house can be combined on one stroll. If the merchant houses are your reason for coming, give the Baba house the time and take in the Mori house from the outside on the same stroll; if the harbor view matters more, the Baba house still fits on the walk to the viewing platform.

Sake Shops and Tasting

Masuizumi is the sake of Masuda Shuzoten in Iwase, and visitors walking the townscape where traces of the Kitamaebune remain pause at the look of the historic brewery. It can be bought at the storefront and at the nearby Tajiri Sakaten, easy to stop at while walking the town.

Tajiri Sakaten, a shop for local sake and wine, sits inside the Mori house storehouse group right next to the Baba house. About half of its storehouse interior is a huge cellar, and the lineup centres on brands shipped directly from breweries, chosen by the owner; visitors can take their time choosing in a quiet atmosphere.

At the tasting shop run directly by the brewery, you can compare sakes by self-service tasting and find the one you like. Masuizumi is described as bringing out the taste of food and leaving a clean aftertaste. If you like to compare before you buy, try several at the tasting shop; the storehouse shop suits taking your time over one bottle.

Dorayaki, White Shrimp and Craft Beer

Otsukaya, a confectionery shop in the old townscape, makes the triangular dorayaki, shaped after the rough waves of the Sea of Japan. A thin skin made with eggs from Toyama Prefecture wraps coarse tsubuan paste made from Hokkaido adzuki beans. It pairs refined sweetness in the paste with a soft, moist skin, and its one-hand size makes it a snack between town walks.

Iwase is the landing place for white shrimp, and dedicated white shrimp fishing is carried out in the Iwase district. The area is described as the home of white shrimp fishing, with shops dotted around where fresh white shrimp dishes can be eaten.

Kobo Brew Pub brews craft beer in a converted rice storehouse of the former Baba house, a registered tangible cultural property. A brewer from the Czech Republic makes the beer, with about ten taps at all times, from standard to limited beers. A tasting set compares four kinds, original sausages go with the beer, and there are soft drinks for anyone not drinking alcohol. For a snack between walks, start with the dorayaki; the white shrimp dishes and the pub suit a longer stop.

The Canal, Iwasehama and the Harbor View

Iwase Canal Hall, on the canal at Toyama Port, is the base for strolling Iwase, with tourist information, restaurants and a souvenir shop. With a bicycle from the hall you can ride through the alleys, the historic townscape and the canal-side scenery, then rest at the cafe and restaurant inside. The hall is about a two-minute walk from Iwasehama Station.

The Toyama Port viewing platform is modelled on the lantern of the local Kotohira shrine and looks over Toyama Port and the Iwase townscape, with the Tateyama range and the Noto Peninsula on clear days. The viewing space, up a spiral staircase of one hundred and seven steps, is described as a small space wrapped in soft light, and at dusk the view is coloured orange.

In summer there is sea bathing at Iwasehama beach; at dusk the sea and sky turn red, and in the clear winter air the Tateyama range stands out sharply.

If you can stay until dusk, the platform and the beach are where that evening colour is described. If you would rather stay overnight, places to stay in Toyama is a place to start.

Getting to Iwase

Leg	How	Time or fare
Toyama Station to Higashi-Iwase Station	Toyama Port Line tram	About 23 minutes
Higashi-Iwase Station to the old Hokkoku Kaido	On foot	About 10 minutes
Toyama Station to Iwasehama Station	Toyama Port Line tram	About 25 minutes
Toyama Station to Higashi-Iwase or Iwasehama	Adult fare	240 yen
Toyama Port Line	Tram interval	10 to 15 minutes
Iwasehama Station to Iwase Canal Hall	On foot	About 2 minutes
Iwasehama Station to the Toyama Port viewing platform	On foot	About 15 minutes
Tokyo Station to Toyama Station	Hokuriku Shinkansen	2 hours 5 minutes at the fastest

The tram runs from the north exit of Toyama Station to Higashi-Iwase and on to Iwasehama. Get off at Higashi-Iwase for the old street and the merchant houses, and ride on to Iwasehama for Iwase Canal Hall, the beach and the viewing platform.

New to rural buses and one-man trains? See how to ride them, step by step.

Hours and Fees

Place	What	Hours or fee
Baba house	Visiting hours	9:00 to 17:00
Mori house	Status	Closed for seismic reinforcement work
Masuda Shuzoten	Business hours	9:00 to 16:00
Tajiri Sakaten	Weekly closing day	Monday
Sake tasting shop	Business hours	10:00 to 18:00
Sake tasting shop	Tasting, 15-minute course	1,500 yen
Toyama Port viewing platform	Visiting hours	9:00 to 16:30
Iwase Canal Hall	Rental cycle hours	9:00 to 16:00
Iwase Canal Hall	Ordinary bicycle rental	500 yen