Noda salt has a long history and is made by the direct boiling method straight from seawater. Shortly after the war ended in 1945, over 130 brine pans were lined up along the Tofugaura coast because at that time, a box of rice received 5 yen but a box of salt was worth 35 yen. Prices in places like Morioka and Akita were even higher. Making salt was banned as a cottage industry in 1949, putting paid to the tradition, but it has revived in recent years as a tourist activity. The Kokumin Shukusha Eboshi-so lodge is the place to try your natural salt making experience.

• Seafood