Introduction to: Toyama

This article is based on a visit made on Tuesday, 15 May 2018.

Edit 10 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Toyama (富山, lit. 'wealthy mountain') is the capital city of the eponymous Toyama Prefecture, which is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north and the Tateyama mountain range to the south and east.  It was established as a castle town after the Warring States period, and soon rose to fame for its production of medicines and paper.  From the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Toyama grew further in importance as an industrial port city, its progress temporarily stunted from air-raid bombings near the end of World War II.  For today's travellers, Toyama is an ideal base for making day-trips to popular sites in the northern Chubu region, which is what attracted me to staying in this city, but it also has some unique attractions of its own.

Main Attractions

菅野崇 [CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

1) Toyama Castle: A castle with a reconstructed keep tower.

By Asturio Cantabrio [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons

2) Toyama Glass Art Museum: A museum of modern, colourful glass art displays.

By tsuda [CC BY-SA 2.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

3) Toyama Municipal Folkcraft Village: A collection of craft museums in traditional-style houses.

えむかとー [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

4) Kansui Park: A public park built around a canal, with a modern art museum located nearby.

くろふね [CC BY 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

5) Iwase: An old-town neighbourhood near the port, lined with museums, craft shops, and pre-war heritage.

Orientation

Toyama is a moderately-sized city, with the major train station, Toyama Station, roughly in the centre of it all.  Its downtown area, including Toyama Castle and the Glass Art Museum, can be reached a 15-minute walk south from Toyama Station.  For those who do not wish to walk, tram and local bus lines are also available.  The following rail companies operate in Toyama:

• JR West operates the high-speed Hokuriku Shinkansen, and the Takayama Main Line (CJ) to the south.
• Ainokaze Toyama Railway operates the Ainokaze Toyama line to the west and east of Toyama Station.  A former JR line, the Japan Rail Pass is not valid on the Ainokaze Toyama line, except for trips between Toyama and Takaoka stations.
• Toyama Chiho Railway, or "Chitetsu" for short, operates three rail lines out of the adjacent Dentetsu-Toyama Station.
• Chitetsu also operates three tram lines, starting from Toyama Station itself.  All tram lines have a flat fare of ¥210 per ride.
• Tram Line 1 heads south to Minami-Toyama station, on the Chitetsu Tateyama train line.
• Tram Line 2 combines the southern route of Line 1 with an west-bound route to the University of Toyama.
• Tram Line 3 makes an anticlockwise loop south through the city centre.
• Toyama Light Rail operates a fourth tram line, the Toyama-ko Line or "Portram", heading north from Toyama Station to the city's port.  It has a flat fare of ¥210 per ride.

The tram lines in Toyama use two unique IC cards: Ecomyca, for the Chitetsu lines, and Passca, for the Toyama Light Rail line.  Using these cards on their respective lines offers a slight discount on fares, lowering them to ¥180 for Chitetsu trams, and ¥190 for the Portram.  The two lines are compatible with each others' cards, but not with any other IC cards (Suica, Pasmo, etc.).

Access

Toyama is a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, ever since its extension in 2015.  From Tokyo Station, take a Kayagaki (135 minutes) or Hakutaka (150 minutes) train to Toyama; this costs ¥12,960 for reserved tickets.  From Kyoto and Osaka, take the Thunderbird limited express to Kanazawa (135-165 minutes), followed by the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama (all services, 25 minutes); this costs ¥9,040 from Kyoto and ¥9,590 from Osaka.  All of the above options are free with the Japan Rail Pass and Hokuriku Arch Pass.

For those coming in by air, Toyama Kitokito Airport (IATA code: TOY) is 7km (4 miles) south of Toyama Station.  All Nippon Airways runs domestic flights from Tokyo-Haneda and Sapporo-Chitose airports.  International flights are also available from Seoul, Shanghai, Dalian, and Taipei.  There are no rail links to the airport, but buses are available to Toyama Station (25 minutes, 1-2 per hour, ¥410).  More information: (English) (Japanese)

Excursions

1) Takaoka: A neighbouring city with a rich bronze-casting history and one of Japan's largest Buddha statues.
Access: Hokuriku Shinkansen (Hakutaka/Tsurugi) from Toyama Station to Shin-Takaoka (8 minutes, ¥1,210 non-reserved, JR Pass OK); or Ainokaze Toyama Railway to Takaoka (18 minutes, ¥370, JR Pass OK).

2) Kanazawa: A city with multiple undisturbed historic districts and one of Japan's top three garden parks.
Access: Hokuriku Shinkansen from Toyama Station to Kanazawa (20 minutes, ¥3,390 reserved, JR Pass OK).

3) Shirakawa-go: A village famous for its thatched-roof farmhouses, where one can stay overnight.
Access: Nohi/Chitetsu bus from Toyama Station to Shirakawa-go (80 minutes, ¥1,730 one-way / ¥3,120 round-trip).  Schedule: (English)

4) Takayama: A city with a well-preserved old town.
Access: JR Hida limited express from Toyama Station to Takayama (90 minutes, ¥3,420, JR Pass OK).

5) Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route: A multi-stage path through spectacular seasonal settings.
Access: Chitetsu Tateyama line to Tateyama (Limited express: 50 minutes, ¥1,440; Local: 70 minutes, ¥1,230).

6) Kurobe Gorge: A railway-lined canyon with beautiful autumn foliage.
Access: Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kurobe-Unazuki Onsen (12 minutes, ¥1,470 non-reserved, JR Pass OK), followed by the Chitetsu Main line to Unazuki-Onsen (25 minutes, ¥640).