Murakami's Century-Old Culture of Cooking Every Part of the Salmon

Murakami sits along the Miomote River, one of Japan's notable wild salmon spawning rivers, and the area is widely credited with practicing organized, conservation-minded salmon fishing and simple aquaculture dating back to the Edo period, among the earliest such efforts recorded in Japan. That long relationship with the fish shaped a local food culture that treats salmon as a defining ingredient rather than just another catch.

Local cooks are often said to have developed over a hundred distinct salmon preparations, including whole salted fish hung to air-dry under eaves for weeks to produce a firm, intensely savory preserved product, along with dishes using roe, cartilage, and other parts rarely eaten elsewhere. Availability and specific preparations shift by season, so it's worth checking what's currently being made if visiting, especially in the colder months.