Toyama: Hokuriku’s Bounty
Introduction
Toyama is a prefecture blessed by the bounty of nature. The region’s main city lies within sight of the Chubu-Sangaku National Park, and on a clear day you can see a line of whitecapped peaks stretching across the horizon.
National parks comprise approximately 30% of Toyama’s entire land area, and the prefecture contains the only glaciers in East Asia outside of Russia. For those seeking a rugged yet beautiful venture into Japan’s mountainous frontier, Toyama is the place to visit.
Access
Running right through the prefecture and stopping at both Toyama Station and Shin-Takaoka Station, the Hokuriku Shinkansen Bullet Train is the main access line for anyone coming in or out of the prefecture. From its main stations, visitors can then embark on journeys along any one of the numerous light rail lines crisscrossing Toyama and even venturing into neighboring prefectures.
Gokayama
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gokayama is one of the few places in Japan where gassho-zukuri-style architecture is not only abundant, but the primary living quarters for inhabitants. High in the mountains of Toyama, people here have lived quaint farming lives for centuries, many of the houses surpassing three hundred years in age.
Regional Cuisine
With one of the largest bays in the entire island chain as its neighbor, Toyama is no stranger to seafood. While most of Japan is familiar with the taste of buri, Japanese amberjack, locals in Toyama prize the fatty winter variation of the fish, kanburi, as a regional delicacy. Meanwhile, from March to June, hotaru-ika firefly squids gather in the tens of thousands to spawn in Toyama Bay, creating a vivid bioluminescent display visible from the shore.
Tateyama’s Alpine Pass
Walls of snow forty feet high flank a narrow road winding up toward one of the holiest peaks in Japan; Tateyama. Ranked as one of Japan’s Three Holy Peaks, Tateyama holds the same level of reverence as Mt. Fuji, and for good reason. The sparkling blue waters of Mikurigaike juxtaposed against the steaming vents of Jigokudani (lit. “Hell Valley”) make Tateyama well worth the trek into the alpine terrain.
Elsewhere in Toyama lies the smaller city of Takaoka. Famous for its metalworkers, Takaokans specialize in bronzeware. In fact, 95% of all of Japan’s bronze artwork and sculptures are made here, including everything from grand statues to Buddhist temple bells.