Situated on the coast of Honshu, facing the Sea of Japan, Toyama is a city in the Chubu region blessed with rich historical and cultural attractions. It used to be a castle town during the Sengoku period, and is currently the capital of Toyama Prefecture.
How To Get To Toyama
Getting to Toyama is possible by air, railway, or bus.
The city’s Toyama Airport is about a 20-minute drive from the centre, and serves a number of international and domestic flights per day.
Air Seoul operates routes between Toyama and Seoul, China Airlines offers flights to and from Taipei, China Eastern Airlines flies to and from Shanghai, and China Southern Airlines offers Toyama-Dalian flights and vice versa. All Nippon Airways, meanwhile, operates two domestic routes, to and from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport. A one-way journey between Toyama and Tokyo takes about one hour.
By railway, the quickest way to reach Toyama from Tokyo is via the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen. The two cities are directly linked by this line, which cuts down the travel time to only two hours.
For those coming from Osaka or Kyoto, you can take the JR Thunderbird limited express train from either city to get to Kanazawa. At Kanazawa Station, you have to transfer to the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen line to arrive to Toyama Station. An entire one-way trip is approximately three and half hours long.
There are multiple bus companies that connect Toyama to other Japanese cities. For example, Toyama Chiho and Nohi Bus operate between Toyama and Takayama, and Willer Express to and from Tokyo. You can find more highway bus options on Willer Express’ website and Japan Bus Online.
Top Attractions in Toyama
Toyama Castle
Constructed in 1543, Toyama Castle is a Japanese-style castle located in Toyama. In 1581, it served as the base of one of Oda Nobunaga’s retainers, but it was attacked and destroyed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and his forces. It was rebuilt by Maeda Toshinaga years later to make it his retirement home.
The castle that stands today is a concrete construction, as much of the original structure was destroyed by fire and battles. It includes a spacious public park that is home to many cherry trees, the Sato Memorial Art Museum, stone walls, and moats.
From Toyama Station, Toyama Castle is about 15 minutes away on foot. It is also only a few steps away from the Kokusai-kaigijo tram stop, along tram line number 3.
Botanical Gardens of Toyama
Spanning 24.7 hectares, the Botanic Gardens of Toyama offers a wide variety of flora, including approximately 5,000 species of Japanese and foreign plants.
Opened to the public in 1993, it has several outdoor gardens with particular themes, such as plants that grow along the coasts and marshy plains, those that came from China’s Yunnan province, Japanese peony, oak, and chestnut trees, and plants that are common in the tropical and subtropical regions.
It also has various greenhouses, including an orchid house, a Yunnan greenhouse, a tropical plant house, an Alpine plant house, and a tropical fruit house.
From Toyama Station, take the Toyama Chitetsu bus bound for Oginoshima, and get off at the Chuo-shokubutsuen stop. The garden is about 12 minutes away on foot.
Toyama Glass Art Museum
With a vast collection of glass art from all over the globe, Toyama Glass Art Museum is a must-see for art enthusiasts visiting the city. It is housed in a striking, modern-style Kirari building designed by Kuma Kengo, a respected Japanese architect, whose other notable works include the Asakusa Culture Tourism Center in Tokyo, the Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy or LVMH Group Japan headquarters in Osaka, and the Great Bamboo Wall House in Beijing.
The museum’s fourth and sixth floors are home to permanent exhibitions, which consist of works by some of the world’s most talented contemporary glass artists, while the rest of the museum offers various temporary exhibits.
Situated two kilometres away from Toyama Station, the museum is accessible via tram line number 3. Get off at the Grandplaza-mae stop, and walk a few minutes.
For news and updates on the museum exhibits and other information, check out the Toyama Glass Art Museum website.
Ikeda Yasubei Shoten
For some traditional Japanese medicine products, drop by the Ikeda Yasubei Shoten, a long-running medicine store in the city that sells a wide selection of medicines.
Opened in 1936, the shop offers pills and other pharmaceuticals made from medicinal herbs and natural ingredients for different types of illnesses. It also has a restaurant with a menu of health dishes upstairs.
The shop is only 200 metres away from the Toyama Glass Art Museum, so visiting the two together is advised.
From Toyama Station, take tram line number 1 or 2, get off at the Nishicho stop, and walk a few minutes to the store.
Getting Around Toyama
Toyama is not a very big city, but it is served by a reliable network of trains, trams, and buses, with Toyama Station as its primary transportation hub.
The city’s tram network is made up of four lines operated by two different companies, and all begin at Toyama Station, and run through the different parts of the city. The buses work the same, and provide an additional option to getting from one point to another.
As several of the city’s main tourist spots are in the downtown area, such as the Toyama Glass Art Museum and the Toyama Castle Park, walking is a common way to get around.
Weather in Toyama
Toyama is a winter wonderland from December to March, as the city experiences a lot of snow, with daily temperatures around 0 to 3 degrees Celsius. In spring and in autumn, the daily temperatures are around 10 to 15 degrees, with some rainy days. In summer, rainy days become more frequent, with July and September as the rainiest months, and days become hotter, with temperatures in the high 20s.