The castle town of Obama Nishigumi begins where the ground changes color. Pay attention to the insignias on the old traditional townhouses. For instance, inscribed within this kanji for “Well” is the kanji for the number two. This signifies that there are two water wells in this specific house. Also, if there is nothing inside the “Well” character, that means there’s only one well. If there is a “fountain” kanji, that signifies that a spring is gushing inside the well. In other words, the primordial waters of cuisine sprang forth in the port city of Obama.

Along those lines, the side of Wakasa Bay that faces the Sea of Japan is a rare rias coastline. Nutrient-rich water runs underground from the forests and springs forth in the Bay. Plankton swarm to the spring water, and that draws in schools of fish. In a manner of speaking, Wakasa Bay is like a natural fish tank.

Additionally, Wakasa would also send that spring water to the capital city. From the year 1300, it continuously supplied spring water for the “Omizutori” sacred water-drawing rites at Todaiji Temple in Nara. This rite was a prayer for national prosperity. Kyoto was the wellspring of prosperity and they craved that primordial source of nutrition, that seaborne blessing, of Wakasa.