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Undervisited Japan: Toyama
Just two and a half hours from Tokyo by bullet train lies a place you’ve probably never heard of: Toyama. Its name means “rich with mountains,” and it’s everything you could want rural Japan to be.
Set on the northern coast of Honshu, Toyama City is the capital – and it’s surrounded by nature on a grand, cinematic scale. Over a third of the prefecture is covered in national parks. Emerald rivers rush through gorges, mirror lakes reflect mountain peaks, and the sushi is among the freshest in Japan. It’s home to Japan’s tallest dam (the one from Godzilla). In Toyama’s Kurobe alpine route, you’ll find walls of snow towering higher than a double-decker bus.
But a quick google could tell you all that. We want to show you what makes Toyama truly magical.
Refusing to allow rural depopulation to erode its artisanal heritage, Western Toyama is having a renaissance. The initiatives you’ll find here are born of dynamic people, and they are so very Japanese: existing at the intersection of tradition and innovation, nature, and community.
Whole streets are alive with the rhythm of wood carving and metalwork. Workshops open straight onto the street, sunlight spilling in as artisans hammer, cut, and shape. Eleven traditional crafts – like washi papermaking and bronze bell casting – are protected here. Not because they belong in museums, but because people still live by them.
It’s a place where regeneration is powered by creativity, and tourism isn’t about ticking sights off a list – it’s about being part of something meaningful.
But 99% of international tourists never set foot here.
Let us introduce you to Toyama, and the people and projects shaping its future.
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Want to dive deeper into Toyama?
Toyama is full of small surprises - alpine villages, "house forests", stand-out whiskey. We've written about what makes this place quietly unforgettable in our latest blogs. Take a look.
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People and places in Toyama
Just as rich in community spirit as it is in mountains, Toyama is fiercely committed to preserving its heritage and using regeneration-fuelled tourism as a force for good. It’s a place best understood through the stories of its people and the projects that they’ve created. Here are some that we’re proud to be connected with.
Here are some that we’re proud to be connected with - at a glance below, with further stories coming soon.
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Sari Hayashiguchi – Toyama West Tourism Promotion Association
“One of the most distinctive things about Toyama is the symbiotic relationship between nature and people. We call this dotoku. Even after modernisation, people are grateful for blessings from nature."
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Rakudo-An - set in Tonami Plain, accommodation top pick
An 120-year-old farmhouse that's been lovingly restored by local artisans as a high-end inn. It has only three guest rooms and is themed around its surrounding natural environment: lush rice paddies.
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Ryuichiro Masuda – fifth-generation owner, Masuda sake brewery
Ryuichiro Masuda is the fifth-generation owner of Masuda Sake Company, established in 1893. He's transformed Iwase into a gastronomic hotspot, with six Michelin-listed restaurants on one street.
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Nobuo Taniguchi – master woodcarver, based in Inami
“The average age of woodcarvers in Inami is 70 years old. In ten years time, we could be down to less than 50 woodcarvers. There is a real need for new apprentices. Time is running out."
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Bed & Craft - a dispersed hotel, accommodation top pick
Bed & Craft is a project run by CORARE ARTISANS JAPAN. It's a dispersed hotel, with six unique houses, and community partnerships with restaurants and craftspeople.
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Yujiro Yamazaki – Organic farmer, Nanto
Yujiriro Yamazaki worked in the music industry in Tokyo until he was 30. He moved to Toyama to lead an organic farming group, growing food using fallen leaves from Zentokuji Temple.
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View Hidden Zen itinerary
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How to visit Toyama
Toyama is easy to fit into most itineraries and can be sandwiched neatly between places like Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Takayama. It features on our Hidden Zen sample itinerary, too.
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Toyama in the spotlight
We think Toyama's brilliant - but don't take our word for it. Below, you'll find a series of articles from publications singing Toyama's praises, too.
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InsideJapan's undervisited destinations
As part of our mission to help tourism be a force for good, we’re working with several destinations across Japan to promote special places that aren’t on the tourist radar yet. It’s in these destinations that so much of Japanese life happens – and they’re actively seeking more international visitors.
You can read more about our overtourism strategy here.
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