As a good port on the right bank of the Jinzu River mouth and facing Toyama Bay, Higashi Iwase prospered as a port of call for Kitamae-bune from the Edo period to the early Meiji period. Here, rice storehouses were established by the Kaga clan. Rice was mainly loaded from Toyama, and kelp and herring for fertilizer was carried in from Hokkaido. Since then, kelp has taken root as an essential ingredient in Toyama’s food culture, and you can enjoy a wide variety of kelp dishes combined with fresh seafood caught in the Toyama Bay, which is called a natural fish preserve.
ports of call
Cultural Properties of Toyama City
Former Mori Family House
The house of a small-cargo vessel wholesaler, the "Former Mori Family" which made their wealth through Kitamae-bune.
Former Baba Family House
A house of a small-cargo vessel wholesaler, the "Former Baba Family", which made their wealth through Kitamae-bune.
The big zelkova tree of Nishiiwase Suwasha Shrine
This big zelkova tree was considered a landmark when Kitamae-bune entered the port.
Iwase-madara
Folk songs that are said to have been transmitted from Kyushu by the sailors of Kitamae-bune.
