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Toyama trout sushi (masu-zushi) cut together with its bamboo leaves

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Toyama Masu-zushi (Trout Sushi)

鱒寿司 Masu-zushi · Toyama, Toyama Prefecture

Photo: Sougenma · CC BY-SA 4.0

Round pressed sushi wrapped in bamboo leaves, once presented to shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune in the Kyōhō era.

Know before you go

  • Don't eat the bamboo leaves
  • don't leave the empty box and bamboo leaves on your seat on the train—take them off with you and put them in a bin
  • don't leave fresh varieties that need refrigeration in a hot car for too long

This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.

Culture

Culture & customs

Background

Masu-zushi (trout sushi) is a local dish of Toyama Prefecture and a famous station bento. It uses cherry salmon, is not fermented but seasoned with vinegar, and belongs to the "haya-zushi" (quick sushi) type of pressed sushi. Bamboo leaves are laid out radially in the bottom of a round wooden container, slices of salted and seasoned trout are arranged on top, vinegared rice is pressed in, then the bamboo leaves are folded over to wrap it and a weight is placed on top. According to Japanese Wikipedia, masu-zushi centers on the Jinzu River basin; the Etchu historical records mention that during the Kyoho era, Yoshimura Shinpachi, a retainer of Maeda Toshioki, third lord of the Toyama domain, presented ayu sushi to Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune, made the same way as today's masu-zushi. In the past it used cherry salmon swimming up the Jinzu River; now that wild cherry salmon have declined, trout from overseas or Hokkaido is mostly used.

Local customs

  • To eat it, remove the lid and cut the sushi, bamboo leaves and all, into wedges with the small knife provided, using a sawing motion, then peel back the bamboo leaves to eat
  • boxes come in one-layer and two-layer versions, good for sharing among several people
  • it is a popular station bento on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

Religion & beliefs

  • Masu-zushi itself has nothing to do with religion
  • it is famous as a tribute the Toyama domain presented to the shogun's household and is a local specialty Toyama people are proud of. Generations of the Maeda family of the Toyama domain presented masu-zushi to the shogun's household, and it has therefore come to be seen as an honor for Toyama, with no connection to religious belief.

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Rules that apply here

Essential restrictionsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · Japan

No photography and no eating or drinking in the permanent gallery of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum

Do

  • Put away your camera, food and drinks before entering the permanent gallery
  • For the special exhibition gallery and the children's gallery, check the notices of the day to see whether photography is allowed
  • If you need to eat or drink, go to the areas designated by the museum, such as the outdoor colonnade

Don’t

  • Do not take photos or videos in the permanent gallery
  • Do not eat or drink in the permanent gallery, and do not have meals in other areas of the museum either
  • Do not extend the permanent gallery's photo ban into a photo ban across the entire park

The museum's 2026 visitor guide explicitly prohibits photography, eating and drinking in the permanent gallery and asks visitors to check the restrictions for other galleries separately; follow the museum's instructions on site.

Not yet verifiedSource: Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum: FY2026 visitor guide, page 6

Essential restrictionsSafetyCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Japan: At fireworks festivals, don't tape off spots in advance, and never fly drones

Do

  • Spread your sheet where there is actual space when you arrive, leaving room for neighbours
  • Follow police and staff directions and move with the crowd
  • Bring plenty of water and cooling gear to prevent heatstroke
  • Riverbanks have lots of insects, so bring repellent
  • Festivals usually go ahead in light rain, so bring a raincoat
  • Take your rubbish home

Don’t

  • Don't mark spots in advance with tape or spray paint on roads or in parks
  • Don't fly drones
  • Don't use selfie sticks in crowds; the Sumida River festival bans them
  • Don't stop in the middle of the path to watch and block the flow

Spots marked in advance are cleared by the organisers, and flying drones is prohibited by law. City-centre festivals run one-way crowd flows, and going against the flow or stopping can cause dangerous crushes.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Excite News: Sumida River Fireworks, access and viewing guide

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Mixed, open-air and private baths: read the signs, don't stare, never take photos

Do

  • Check the signs before entering; mixed baths are clearly marked, and joining is entirely your choice
  • Most mixed baths are nude only, with no swimwear; some allow or lend special bathing wraps or towels, so follow the bath's rules
  • If you prefer not to bathe mixed, use the separate men's and women's baths or a private bath
  • Outdoor baths are slippery and the temperature changes sharply; hold the handrails when moving
  • Use a private bath only within your booked slot and leave on time
  • Tohoku and other regions still have many therapeutic hot springs with mixed bathing; for long therapeutic stays, follow the ryokan's and your doctor's advice

Don’t

  • Don't stare at other bathers, strike up conversations, or linger to watch
  • Don't take photos or videos in the bath area
  • Don't overstay a private bath; the next group is waiting

Mixed bathing works only because bathers keep their eyes to themselves; staring or taking photos will get you asked to leave, and filming others in a bath may break local law.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Wikipedia (Japanese): Konyoku

Essential restrictionsPhotos & dronesCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Stay off private land, and ask before photographing children or people

Do

  • Ask parents' permission before photographing their children
  • Ask geiko, maiko, and other working people before photographing them
  • Check for 撮影禁止 (no photography) signs, and ask staff if there are none
  • Photograph trains and stations themselves without disrupting operations

Don’t

  • Do not enter private homes or land for a shot
  • Do not photograph the inside of homes
  • Do not aim your camera at individual passengers on trains or buses
  • Do not step into rice paddies, flower beds, or along railway tracks for photos
  • Do not use selfie sticks or tripods in crowds or dangerous spots
  • Do not chase or stop geiko or maiko

Trespassing on private land is illegal and can get you told to leave or to delete your photos. Shooting in no-photo areas will be stopped, and photographing children is seen as an invasion of privacy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Aichi Now: Sightseeing Manners

Essential restrictionsHot springsCountry-wide guidance · Japan

Bathe nude in the onsen and keep your towel out of the water

Do

  • Bathe fully nude, without swimwear or underwear
  • Rest your small towel on your head or the edge of the bath
  • Tie up long hair so it stays out of the water
  • Enter the bath slowly and keep quiet
  • Leave your phone in the locker
  • Keep your first soak short, and dry off before returning to the changing room

Don’t

  • Do not dip your towel into the bath
  • Do not swim, dive, or talk loudly in the bath
  • Do not take photos anywhere in the bathing area
  • Do not wrap your yukata right side over left; that is how the deceased are dressed

Most of these are written bathhouse rules. Breaking them gets you a reminder from staff, and in serious cases you may be asked to leave. Soaking too long can also make you dizzy.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Authentic Local Japan: Onsen Etiquette

Don’t DON'T

  • Don't eat the bamboo leaves
  • don't leave the empty box and bamboo leaves on your seat on the train—take them off with you and put them in a bin
  • don't leave fresh varieties that need refrigeration in a hot car for too long
  • don't cut the sushi on the train with anything hard other than the knife provided, so you don't scratch the tray table.

Locals appreciate DO

  • People in Toyama appreciate guests who compare the flavors of different shops: each shop differs in the acidity of the vinegar, the thickness of the trout and how long it is cured, and asking staff for recommendations is welcome. Buying single-layer boxes from two or three different shops to compare is a way of eating it that locals also recommend
  • tell the staff how long your train ride is and they will recommend suitable storage.

Plan your visit

Practical info

Travel tips

  • Buy a box to eat on the train or at your hotel
  • it takes just ten-odd minutes. You can combine it with Toyama Castle Park and Fugan Canal Kansui Park, and it also makes a convenient lunch on the way to Tateyama Kurobe or Gokayama. Dietary notes: the trout is cured with salt and vinegar but not cooked, so it is a raw fish product
  • pregnant women and people with weakened immunity should take care, and it is unsuitable for people with fish allergies. Traditional versions keep for a day or two at room temperature, but in recent years there are also versions closer to fresh sushi with a short shelf life, so check the consume-by date when buying. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
  • popular old establishments often have queues, so going outside peak mealtimes is more relaxed.

Photos

Photos

Toyama trout sushi (masu-zushi) cut together with its bamboo leaves
Toyama trout sushi (masu-zushi) cut together with its bamboo leaves
Sougenma · CC BY-SA 4.0
Trout sushi with the box lid opened
Trout sushi with the box lid opened
Ippukucho · CC BY 3.0
Sources & verification notes

Japanese Wikipedia: Masu-zushi

MAFF “Our Regional Cuisines”: Masu-zushi (Toyama Prefecture)

NTT East BizDrive: Toyama's trout sushi and ekiben

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