A Winter Gastronomic Feast in Hokuriku: Seafood Hot Pot for Thousands

Winters in Hokuriku are particularly long, and over half of this extended cold season is spent under snowfall. The UNESCO World Heritage Shirakawa-go and Gokayama villages, as well as the historic white-walled towns of Kanazawa, are blanketed in snow. But Hokuriku also boasts a rich variety of appealing winter experiences. The most popular winter event among tourists visiting Japan is the "Takaoka Pot Festival" held every January in Toyama Prefecture, where the sight of thousands sharing a seafood hot pot surpasses even the warmth of New Year’s hearth gatherings. The richly flavored, steaming-hot broth warms both body and soul in the cold winter.

Seafood is one of Hokuriku’s most captivating highlights. The “Takaoka Pot Festival” in Toyama Prefecture uses premium, fresh seasonal seafood to create a variety of richly flavored hot pots that satisfy every palate. Takaoka is an internationally renowned city for metalworking, famous especially for its copper craftsmanship. The festival features a wide range of seafood soups cooked in giant pots with diameters of over two meters. Whether it’s the locally cherished “Jiman-nabe” (pride pot), the sweet and delicious cod hot pot, the “Satoimo-jiru-nabe” (taro soup pot) paired with miso, or the fan-favorite number one crab hot pot—the flavors are all astonishingly delicious.

Now entering its 24th edition since its inception in Showa Year 62 (1987), the “Takaoka Pot Festival” will be held on January 9 and 10, 2010, at locations around JR Takaoka Station and the central shopping streets. To enjoy the seafood hot pot, visitors need to purchase tickets—advance tickets are 500 yen and allow early entry, while on-the-day tickets cost 700 yen. In addition to the diverse seafood offerings from the region, there are also local delicacies, desserts, craft beer, wine, international cuisine, and more, making the nearby stalls equally enticing. For just a little extra, you can savor uniquely regional dishes.

For detailed information about the “Takaoka Pot Festival” and to purchase tickets, please visit the Takaoka City Tourism Association’s official site.

2010 Takaoka Pot Festival
Event Dates: January 9 and 10, 2010
Event Location: JR Takaoka Station area and central shopping streets
Official Website: http://www.takaoka.or.jp/

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