Toyama Prefecture is blessed with delicious natural bounty from the mountains, rivers, and seas.

Have you heard of "Toyama Black Ramen," a ramen famous in this region? Its appearance and characteristics differ from those of ordinary ramen, making it a ramen with a mysterious charm that draws people in and makes them say, "I can't help but get addicted to it!"

This time, we will explain the appeal of "Toyama Black Ramen", which originated in Toyama.

What is Toyama Black Ramen? Why is it black?

Toyama Black Ramen is a ramen with a striking appearance, with a pitch black soup based on strong soy sauce, topped with coarsely ground black pepper, green onions, and pork char siu. The soup has a strong, deep soy sauce flavor, and the thick noodles used are sure to match that flavor.

Toyama black ramen has an image of being slightly salty, but the taste varies greatly depending on the restaurant. There is no clear definition or standard, and it is characterized by the ingenuity seen everywhere, such as those with tender, falling-off pork slices on top and those that allow you to drink the soup down to the last drop.

Even now, more than half a century after its creation, many people visit in search of this traditional taste.

The origin and history of Toyama Black Ramen

Toyama Black Ramen was created in Toyama City around 1947. It was originally made with a strong soy sauce flavor for workers who worked up a sweat while working up a job after the war.

The original shop has the darkest soup, and has been serving a bowl of soy sauce that allows you to enjoy the strong taste of soy sauce ever since it first opened. The pitch black soup, which is the most distinctive feature of Toyama Black, is made by blending several types of dark soy sauce, boiling it down, and combining it with chicken stock.

The thick, chewy noodles are coated with the soup, and the menma, which is seasoned with a strong spiciness from the black pepper, goes perfectly with white rice.

Originally, in the postwar era, customers would bring large bento boxes or rice balls to eat with ramen. From there, word spread that "Chinese noodles to eat with rice" and other restaurants started offering it as well.

Decades later, due to its striking black appearance, it has become known to people outside the prefecture by the nickname "Toyama Black."

The deliciousness and appeal of Toyama Black Ramen

The original "Toyama Black Ramen" has a strong flavor of dark soy sauce, and the best way to eat it is to first mix the noodles and ingredients together before eating.

When you take a sip, you'll be surprised by its special flavor. You can eat it as is, but rice and a raw egg are the perfect combination to bring out the flavor of the soup. The flavor of the soup is also well absorbed into the noodles, so we recommend eating it on top of rice.

Also, if you mix the noodles with beaten egg like sukiyaki, it will change to a milder flavor.You can also eat it with egg in a bowl, or eat the noodles mixed with egg with rice, or try it in any way you like.

Things to do in Toyama

From here, we will introduce some tourist spots in Toyama.

"Fugan Canal Kansui Park" is recommended for walks and picnics

The first is Fugan Canal Kansui Park, a 10-minute walk from the north exit of Toyama Station. Here you'll find a popular coffee shop that has been selected as having the best scenery in the world, as well as the stylishly designed Fugan Suijo Line that runs through the canal.

The spacious park features lawns that make you want to lie down on them, sparkling canals, and a fantastic night view lit up. To the southeast you can see the majestic Tateyama mountain range, and it is a famous spot in Toyama where you can enjoy walks, cherry blossom viewing, and picnics.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: a mountain sightseeing route with spectacular views

The second is the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which runs through mountains over 3,000 meters above sea level and connects to Nagano Prefecture.

This was originally a road built in 1952 for industrial and economic development, but it is now popular as a mountain tourist route with spectacular views. You can travel between each tourist spot on six different types of transportation, including cable cars and highland buses, and it is recommended for beginners to mountain climbing and those who want to experience something out of the ordinary.

Kurobe Dam and Kurobedaira, a scenic spot on the Alpine Route

One of the scenic spots on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is the Kurobe Dam, the tallest dam in Japan. More than 10 tons of water is released per second from the large Kurobe Lake, and the sight of the "tourist water release" is an overwhelming sight.

You can also take a cable car from Lake Kurobe to Kurobedaira Station, where you can see the sacred Mt. Tateyama, the emerald green Lake Kurobe, and the magnificent Kurobe Dam from the panoramic terrace on the roof. There are also restaurants and shops, so you can spend your waiting time in a fulfilling way. In July, the alpine plants just beyond the Kurobedaira Garden are in full bloom.

Access to Toyama City

From here, we will introduce how to access Toyama Station.

Located almost in the middle of the Sea of Japan, Toyama City can be accessed by plane, express bus, train, etc. It is close to Japan's three largest cities, Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, in a straight line, and it takes about an hour to get from Haneda Airport to Toyama Airport.

If you travel by train, it takes about two hours from Tokyo to Toyama Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, or about three hours from Nagoya or Shin-Osaka via express train and the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

If you use the express bus, you can access the area from all over the country, including Japan's three major cities, as well as Kyoto, Niigata, Takayama, and Kanazawa. The distances are 4 hours 40 minutes, 4 hours, 2 hours 25 minutes, and about 1 hour and a half a day, respectively, so it's definitely something to consider.

Location of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture

summary

This time we introduced Toyama's local gourmet dish, "Toyama Black Ramen."

The jet-black soup, made with a strong soy sauce base, is sure to be a memorable dish, not only for its appearance but also for its taste.

Why not try this dish at a restaurant in Toyama, a dish that supported the mind and body of working people in the post-war era and whose taste has been passed down to this day?

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