Stand on the bridge over the canal at Fugan Canal Kansui Park and you look down a long straight stretch of water, with a cafe on the bank and the city's towers rising behind it. Ten minutes north of Toyama Station, this is where a Toyama day often begins or ends.
Toyama suits travellers who want a compact city of canals, castle grounds and small museums, with a tram network that makes the pieces easy to link. It also rewards anyone willing to ride a little further out for a folk village, a hillside of statues, or a pre-war shipping town.
This guide covers the sights and experiences the city is known for, with practical notes on how to combine them and when to go.
Top things to do in Toyama
1. Matsukawa River Cruises
A 30-minute round-trip riverboat ride around the centre of the city, leaving from a stand next to Toyama Castle. The cruise is at its most popular in spring, when the cherry trees above the river are in bloom and the fare is higher.
Boats leave at regular intervals, and while tours are in Japanese, a prerecorded audio guide can be played when the boat has only English speakers. You can also book extras such as making artistic sushi rolls to eat on the cruise, or trying shamisen music and listening to a performance on board. Reservations are required during winter.
2. Toyama Castle
A small residence dating from the 15th century, with Toyama Castle Park around it, a short walk south from the station. Along the way you pass showcases of local artworks.
Treat it as the anchor of a central walk: the river cruise stand sits next to the castle, so pairing the two makes sense. The area around the castle is also one of the good spots for viewing the Yosakoi dance festival.
3. Fugan Canal Kansui Park
A large park split by a canal, a ten-minute walk north from Toyama Station. Sightseeing boats arrive and depart from the canal, and a bridge crossing it gives panoramic views of the area.
The park has a Starbucks cafe that has been recognised as the most beautiful store of the Seattle-based chain. Entry to the park is free, which makes it an easy first or last stop of the day.
4. Toyama City Hall observation deck
At the top of Toyama City Hall, this deck lets you see the whole city. It is free, and it is the simplest way to get your bearings before deciding what to walk to.
Go early in your trip so you can pick out the castle, the canal and the station district before setting off on foot.
5. Toyama Folk Village
A series of small cultural museums, each in a traditional house, featuring a large number of crafts, tools, toys and furniture. There is also a shop full of traditional Toyama clay crafts made on the premises.
It is about a half hour from the station, with buses leaving at regular intervals from a bus stop near Toyama Station. Combine it with Gohyaku-rakan next door, since the two sit side by side.
6. Gohyaku-rakan
Also known as the "Hills of 500 Buddhas", this site is next to the Toyama Folk Village. From a short distance away you see only a few trees and a small, dilapidated temple.
Get closer and you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of eerie and atmospheric Buddha statues dressed in multi-coloured ribbons. The statues are disciples of Buddha. Visit it on the same trip as the folk village.
7. Iwase town
To see some pre-war Japan and get a taste of Toyama's shipping history, take a walk through Iwase town. Take the lightrail to Higashi Iwase to visit the Mori residence, or to Iwasehama for the beach.
This is a half-day rather than a quick stop, so give it room in your schedule and pick your lightrail stop depending on whether you want the historic house or the shoreline.
8. Toyama Glass Art Museum
A museum devoted to glass art in the city. It is one of the city's named sights and works well as an indoor stop between the castle area and the canal.
Check locally for current visiting details before you go, and slot it into a central walking day rather than a day already committed to the folk village.
9. Toyama matsuri
Held over the first weekend of August, Toyama festival includes a fireworks display and various local activities.
Because it runs only once a year, plan your trip dates around it if fireworks and street activity are what you want from the city.
10. Yosakoi dance festival
A modern Japanese dance style performed over a weekend at the end of July or the beginning of August. Some of the best spots for viewing are around Toyama Castle, Kencho-mae Park and the Sogawa shopping arcade.
All three viewing spots are central, so you can move between them on foot over the course of the weekend.
11. Kaze no Bon
Held in Yatsuo town, a few stops from Toyama JR station, over three days at the beginning of September. Lanterns line the streets and dancers and musicians parade through the town, with many food and souvenir stalls.
It attracts large crowds. The best time to enjoy the atmosphere is said to be after midnight.
12. Seasonal events and holiday celebrations
National holidays and festivals provide further chances to catch events in Toyama, including Tanabata, Kaze-no-bon and cherry blossom viewing in spring.
The Toyama International Center keeps up-to-date listings on notable events in Toyama and the surrounding area in several languages, including English, so check there once your dates are fixed.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Toyama City Hall observation deck to see the whole city, then walk south to Toyama Castle and its park, looking at the showcases of local artworks along the way.
Afternoon: Take a Matsukawa River Cruises round trip from the stand next to the castle, then walk north to Fugan Canal Kansui Park to cross the bridge over the canal and stop at the cafe on the bank. If time allows, add the Toyama Glass Art Museum.
Evening: Return to the canal park area as the light goes, or time your visit to coincide with the Yosakoi dance festival around the castle, Kencho-mae Park and the Sogawa shopping arcade if you are in the city at the end of July or beginning of August.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to take a Matsukawa river cruise?
Spring, when the cherry trees above the river are in bloom. The cruise is extremely popular then and charges extra, and reservations are required during winter, from December to March.
Are the river cruises available in English?
Tours are in Japanese, but when the boat has only English speakers a prerecorded audio guide can be played.
How do I get to the Toyama Folk Village and Gohyaku-rakan?
Both are about a half hour from the station, and buses leave at regular intervals from a bus stop located near Toyama Station. The two sites are next to each other.
Where can I find out what events are on during my trip?
The Toyama International Center has up-to-date listings on notable events in Toyama and the surrounding area in several languages, including English.
Fix your dates around a festival or a spring river cruise, then build the rest of the day from the castle, the canal and the tram lines that connect them.