The History and Culture of the Kitamaebune

In 2019, Niigata Port celebrated its 150 year anniversary of opening to international trade. From the mid-Edo period through the Meiji period, Niigata Port was frequented by wooden cargo vessels called "Kitamaebune" that sailed the Sea of Japan. Kitamaebune were unique in that they not only transported goods, but the captains themselves were choosing and buying the goods to be sold at different ports. This system was similar to how general trading companies are operated nowadays, and the ships were referred to as “kaisen” (“traveling boats”) in Niigata.

Spring Twilight (2015-05-14) by Norio KinemuchiOriginal Source: Beautiful Rural Views Photo Gallery of Niigata City

Rice has always been a staple good in Niigata. Not many people in Niigata owned their own ship as plenty came by to purchase goods already. Kaisen wholesalers rose up to serve as an intermediary between the rice producers and the Kitamaebune captains. This gave rise to the culture of hospitality in Niigata.

Furumachi Kagai Street (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

This culture still can be found in the Furumachi area of Niigata City, located between the Shinano River and the Sea of Japan, a quick jaunt from JR Niigata Station. At the time of the Kitamaebune, throughout the area where Furumachi can be found, a grid network of canals allowed for the transportation of goods. Various shops lined the canals, and many restaurants, including traditional Japanese ryotei, provided hospitality to the merchants who came from all over the country. Furumachi also prospered as one of Japan's three major geisha (geigi) districts. It was a breathtaking sight to see the Furumachi geigi girls walking along the weeping willows that lined the canals and had long branches that tickled the surface of the water.

Hisamoto: Calling Cards of Geigi Girls (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Furumachi Geigi, One of Japan’s Most Renowned Geisha Cultures

Where people and things come and go, culture is born. Furumachi is full of traditional restaurants that serve delicious Niigata food and local sake and are the stage for geigi performances of dance and shamisen playing that you can enjoy even to this day. At its peak, Furumachi had over 400 geigi girls who were known for their skills in performance such as their wonderful song, dance, and shamisen playing. Although their numbers have dwindled, there has been a movement to train more women who aspire to be geigi, even women from other prefectures, in an effort to proactively preserve and revitalize the local geisha culture.

Hisamoto: Hostess Sachiko Kume (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Sachiko Kume, the proprietress of the restaurant Hisamoto and who has been a geigi for many years, explains Niigata’s geisha culture as follows. “To become a Furumachi Geigi, you start by learning gentle and endearing phrases to invite our guests to eat, drink, and relax. Many guests have said that our unique style helps them to unwind. To preserve this culture, we must not only foster more geigi girls, but also the new generation of customers. This is why I work with young geigi to help enliven our geigi culture.”

Hisamoto: Niigata's Own Leafy Green, "Meike-na" (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Hisamoto: Assortment of Pickled Vegetables (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

The proprietress is also very knowledgeable about delicious local Niigata cuisine. We asked her about popular food items in Niigata. “Niigata is definitely known for its great-tasting rice. And do not forget about edamame. For pairing with Japanese sake, I recommend pickles of Niigata’s seasonal vegetables such as eggplant, winter greens, and daikon radish. Niigata is also known for its fresh fish, but when pairing sashimi, Japanese sake is a far better choice than beer because with beer it may taste fishy. In the summer we make a whale soup using whale fat, eggplant, and Japanese ginger. At our restaurant, we serve it with cold somen noodles to dip into the soup. The local cuisine of Niigata is not only delicious, but also provides stamina. Since there are many delicious food items in Niigata, I think it is best to ask about what is in season.”

Nabejaya: Lighted Approach (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

The food culture of Niigata

Furumachi still has various long-established restaurants. Most notable examples include Nabejaya which was established in 1846 and started with soft-shell turtle cuisine, and Ikinariya which has a long history of more than 300 years and began as a tea house in the late Edo period. We interviewed both establishments about the cuisine of Niigata as both have kept the tradition of using fresh local ingredients.

Nabejaya: Chief Chef (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Motoyoshi Nakajima, the head chef of Nabejaya, spoke of Niigata cuisine as follows. “Niigata is abundantly rich with bounty from both the land and the sea. An old-fashioned market, located very near to Furumachi, still stands and is full of fish and vegetable sellers. I frequently visit there first thing in the morning to choose the ingredients for the restaurant myself. I can sense the change of the seasons just by looking at the ingredients sold in the market. As soon as the delicious winter greens are gone, I anticipate the coming of spring with its asparagus, mountain greens and snow-aged carrots. Some of our customers visit the restaurant many times a month, so I try to change up what ingredients we use to provide as much variety as possible.”

Nabejaya: A Bowl of Warm Soup (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Nabejaya: Appetizer (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Nabejaya: Hors D'oeuvres (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Kazushige Ikinari, the owner of Ikinariya, says that Niigata is unique in that since it faces the Sea of Japan it always has an array of fresh fish.

Ikinariya: CEO Kazushige Ikinari (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

“Niigata has various great fishing grounds, so there is constant access to fresh fish. The blackthroat seaperch are fatty in the winter, and lean in the summer. It tastes distinctly different depending on the season. Nanban shrimp (commonly referred to as sweet shrimp) and Japanese ivory shell are popularly eaten as sashimi. Northern whiting is also commonly served as sashimi here, but this may be unusual to those out of the prefecture. Since it is a small fish, it takes a lot of effort to prepare it as sashimi, but it has been traditionally prepared this way to bring out its flavor the most."

Ikinariya: Sashimi (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Ikinariya: Grilled Fish (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Ikinariya: Sea Bream Suimono (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Ikinariya: Crane's in Flight (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Pier Bandai Market: Red Salmon (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Salmon: Fully Utilized in Niigata

Mr. Ikinari explains that salmon is the most special fish to the people of Niigata. “In Niigata, salmon is highly regarded which is why salmon is familiar to all the locals and there is a long-established tradition of not wasting any part of the fish. The flesh can be salt-preserved or made into an appetizer called “sake bitashi” after drying it in a cold breeze. The head cartilage is used to make a New Year’s dish called “hizu namasu.” Other salmon dishes include a Niigata soup called “koutou” made from salmon broth and root vegetables, and “totomame” (boiled salmon roe) which can be sprinkled on top of local dishes such as “noppe” or “zoni.” We like to gratefully eat each salmon without wasting any of it. This is the salmon culture of Niigata.”

Nodoguro (Blackthroat Seaperch) (2018-04) by Sekai ZushiCity of Gastronomy Niigata

Zoni of Niigata (With cooked Salmon Roe) (2017)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Ikinariya: Carrying Dishes to the Guests (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Nowadays, unlike in the past, there are fewer households that buy whole salmon, which has made it more difficult to make some traditional salmon dishes at home. Therefore, Mr. Ikinari says that he likes to provide traditional local cuisines to his local customers. “Whenever we serve traditional salmon dishes to our local customers on special occasions such as New Year’s celebrations, it delights them with a sense of nostalgia. Part of our mission is to continue making these local dishes to preserve the food culture of Niigata.”

Ikinariya: Signboard (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Ikinariya: Ready to Welcome Guests (2019)City of Gastronomy Niigata

Credits: Story

Cooperation with:
Ikinariya
Nabedyaya
Hisamoto


Photos: Misa Nakagaki
Text: Orika Uchiumi
Edit: Saori Hayashida
Production: Skyrocket Corporation

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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