TAKE A JOURNEY THROUGH TOYAMA
Just a two-hour bullet train ride from Tokyo on the Sea of Japan coast, Toyama Prefecture is known for its UNESCO-listed villages, magnificent mountain ranges and gorges, and a diverse community of makers.
At Pantechnicon, in partnership with Toyama Prefecture, we are celebrating the region with a selection of experiences from 1-6 November that will give you a taste of what the place has to offer. Click the links to find out more about our Toyama Pop-up Shop, Toyama Sake Supper Club and Toyama Craft Workshop, then read through our tips below on where to eat, drink, sleep, and shop in this beautiful part of Japan.
UNCOVER TRADITIONAL CRAFTS IN TOYAMA
INAMI TOWN
The picturesque town of Inami presents an opportunity to witness wood carving on a grand scale. With over 120 carpentry workshops in the town, everything from shop signage to mailboxes, benches and even a phone booth have been carved from wood. Don’t miss the magnificent woodcarvings at Zuisen-ji Temple, and be guided by a local carver to make an original memento to take home with you.
ETCHU SETOYAKI POTTERY
In the Seto District of Tateyama Town, Etchu Setoyaki Pottery is a must-see. The craft dates back to around 1590, thanks to an area abundant in valuable white clay. With resident potters, here you can try hand throwing and ceramics decoration courses.
THE METALWORK FACTORIES OF TAKAOKA
Takaoka has been the home of Japan’s copper industry for over 400 years. Take a factory tour at Nousaku foundry and take part in a hands-on sand-casting workshop to make a piece of tinware. At Momentum Factory Orii, make your own copper coasters with a blow torch.
TAKAOKA REGIONAL INDUSTRIAL CENTRE
Only have a little time? Head to the Takaoka Regional Industrial Centre where you’ll find displays of Takaoka Buddhist altars, and shoppable displays of many other Japanese traditional crafts made in Toyama, including Takaoka copperware, Takaoka lacquerware, Inami wood carving, Shogawa woodturning, Etchu washi paper, and sedge hats of Etchu Fukuoka. Find out more about Toyama’s vibrant craft scene here.
Visit Nousaku for a factory tour and hands-on workshop. Photo: ⓒ Koizumi Studio
DISCOVER DRINKS MADE FROM TOYAMA’S PRISTINE WATERS
Snowmelt from Tateyama National Park and numerous springs bless Toyama with an abundance of pristine, clear water, making it the perfect place for sake and whisky brewers, as well as rice and fruit farmers. Visit Saburomaru whisky distillery, Wakatsuru sake brewery, and Says Farm Winery to find out about – and sample – the local drinks.
If you’re looking to experience Toyama drinks closer to home, book your place at our Toyama Sake Supper Club on 1 and 2 November to experience unique sake, wine and Umesky liqueur – drinks rarely available in the UK.
Masuda Sake Brewery in Toyama
Sake brewers at Wakatsuru in Toyama
EXPERIENCE TOYAMA’S CULINARY DELIGHTS
Toyama is known throughout Japan for its seafood fished from Toyama Bay. Due to the steep slope of the ocean floor, the bay quickly becomes very deep, allowing for easy access to fishing grounds. Fishing so close to the port is almost like scooping fish out of a fish tank – the short trip back to port ensures that the catch always arrives fresh. This is one of the secrets of Toyama Bay’s delicious fish. Yellow tail, firefly squid, snow crab and white shrimp are just some of the seafood to enjoy here.
Masu-zushi, pressed sushi topped with trout and wrapped in bamboo leaves, is an iconic Toyama lunch. Grab some as an ekiben lunch box to eat on the bullet train as you depart Toyama.
Chosen from amongst all restaurants in Japan, Cuisine régionale L’évo in Toyama Prefecture was selected as Destination Restaurant of the Year 2021 by The Japan Times newspaper and is a must-try. Chef Eiji Taniguchi regularly forages for ingredients in the forests surrounding the restaurant and has built a network of collaborators who share the best from their farms, breweries, and vineyards.
WHERE TO STAY IN TOYAMA
RAKUDO-AN ART HOTEL
Opened on 5 October 2022 is Rakudo-An, an art hotel and restaurant in a restored 120-year-old kominka farmhouse. Set in the rural landscape of Tonami, this small luxury inn has just three guest rooms. Interiors feature traditional natural elements such as clay, wood, Japanese washi paper, and silk, creating a harmonious setting for the inn’s impressive collection of designer furniture, crafts, and contemporary art.
Founder of the Mingei Japanese folk-art movement, Yanagi Soestu, spent time in Tonami, Toyama, in the 1940s and was struck by the local people living in harmony with nature in what Yanagi termed the spirit of ‘dotoku’. Rakudo-An wants guests to experience the ‘dotoku of Toyama’ through the surrounding scenery, space, art, cuisine, and activities. Rakudo-an aims to be a base for regenerative tourism in the area; Supporting local famers, producers, artists, and makers to preserve this unique, spread-out village and pass it on to the future.
BED & CRAFT
In the woodcarving town of Inami, six traditional Japanese-style wooden houses have been transformed into places to stay. Guests at Bed & Craft houses are presented with the opportunity to participate in an ‘apprenticeship’ experience with a local artisan. Over the course of this three-hour workshop, you can create your own masterpiece using the same tools and techniques as a professional.
FOUR PLACES NOT TO MISS IN TOYAMA
Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art & Design – an incredible collection with stylish museum staff in Issey Miyake uniforms.
Toyama Glass Art Museum in a stunning building designed by legendary Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
Gokayama, a remote mountain valley village, declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995 due to its gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, is a spectacular journey through the Northern Japan Alps accessed via cable cars, trolley buses and a ropeway. From April to June, huge snow corridors form with snow walls up to 20 meters high lining the road.
Get insider tips from experts on the ground in Japan - Read more about art and design in Toyama on wondertrunk & co’s website and discover more things to see and experience in Toyama on Mizu to Takumi’s website.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Gokayama, a remote mountain valley village