Ishikari, a coastal city of about 58,000 just outside Sapporo, has long been known nationally for one product: salmon.
Its processing plants send dried and canned products to restaurants and supermarkets throughout Japan and Ishikari nabe (hot pot) — featuring salmon stewed in a miso broth — is naturally the city’s signature dish.
But the city on the Sea of Japan coast is now hoping to stake out another claim to fame.