Things to do in Toyama

Take the hassle out of your vacation transportation with the Japan Rail Pass. Explore the whole country with just one ticket and ride the famous Shinkansen bullet train. Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, Osaka to Hiroshima, and Hokkaido to Kyushu – Japan's your oyster with a 7, 14, or 21-day pass. Get your voucher mailed to your home or office address, then exchange this for your actual Japan Rail Pass at a major train station or international airport in Japan and start traveling. Use the free guide booklet to make the best of your Japan trip, thanks to insider tips and train details. Delivery this included in the price JP (¥2.500+ yen value). Travel as much as you like for 7, 14, or 21 consecutive days. The pass includes: • All Japan Rail Group Shinkansen bullet trains, except the Nozomi and Mizuho departures • All Japan Rail Group limited express, express, rapid, local, trains, and Bus Rapid Transit in Tohoku • Tokyo Monorail between Haneda airport and Hamamatsucho station (no service to Narita) • Aomori Railway services between Aomori and Hachinohe (some exceptions) • Ishikawa Railway services between Kanazawa and Tsubata (local, limited departures only) • Ainokaze Toyama Railway services between Toyama and Takaoka (local departures only) • All Japan Rail Bus local lines (some exceptions, no express services), including services from JR Hokkaido Bus, JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus, West Japan JR Bus, Chugoku JR Bus, JR Shikoku Bus, and JR Kyushu Bus • JR-West ferry service between Miyajima and Miyajimaguchi (JR station near the pier with ferry services for Miyajima)

Discover the charm and rich heritage of Japan’s mountainous countryside on an exclusive private tour designed for travelers seeking an authentic, flexible, and unforgettable experience. Whether you start your journey from Kanazawa, Toyama, or Takayama, this tour offers personalized service, comfort, and a carefully curated route through some of the region’s most iconic destinations. Unlike crowded group tours with fixed schedules, our private scenic tour offers complete freedom. You travel at your own pace in a comfortable vehicle with a professional local driver who knows the area intimately. Whether you prefer to linger longer in a quaint village or explore hidden spots off the beaten path, your itinerary is fully customizable. This is your day, your adventure. Shirakawa-go – UNESCO World Heritage Village Step into a postcard-perfect village famous for its distinctive gassho-zukuri farmhouses—traditional homes with steep thatched roofs designed to withstand heavy snowfall. Nestled in a mountain valley, Shirakawa-go is breathtaking in every season, offering spectacular photo opportunities, fascinating local culture, and a glimpse into rural Japanese life preserved for centuries. Hida no Sato – The Open-Air Folk Museum Experience Japan’s architectural heritage up close at this open-air museum in Takayama. Explore relocated and restored traditional houses, workshops, and farm buildings representing life in the Hida region over the centuries. Learn about local crafts, farming techniques, and enjoy demonstrations that bring Japan’s past vividly to life. Takayama Old Town – Historic Edo-Period Streets Walk through the beautifully preserved old town, where narrow streets are lined with wooden merchant houses, sake breweries, artisan shops, and cozy cafés. The atmosphere here transports you back to the Edo period, with opportunities to taste local delicacies, shop for handcrafted souvenirs, or simply soak up the timeless charm of this mountain town.

Looking for a quick and easy way to travel? Book your one-way Shinkansen ticket in advance and hop on Japan's famous Bullet Train. Pick up your ticket and relax in the train's comfortable seats and quiet carriages. Enjoy stunning views of the Kansai countryside. ※ Booking Confirmation: After making your booking, you will receive a confirmation email at the address you provided. ※ Ticket Redemption: Visit a green ticket vending machine or station counter to exchange your e-ticket for a physical ticket. Scan the QR code from your e-ticket and present your non-Japanese passport. Machines offer menus in Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, or Korean. Available stations include Kansai Airport, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Osaka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Shin-Yamaguchi, Shimonoseki, Kokura, and Hakata. ※ If the machine is not working or your passport does not have an IC chip, please go to the JR-WEST Ticket Office to exchange your e-ticket for a physical ticket. ※ Seat Reservation: Before boarding the train, make a seat reservation at the station. Use the green ticket vending machine to obtain a physical reserved seat ticket along with an area ticket. ※ Boarding: Use your physical ticket to pass through the automated ticket gate.

*** The tour starts from either Kanazawa or Toyama, not both on each day *** This tour will start at Kanazawa Station at 8:00 A.M.(if your pick-up is Toyama the meeting time is 9:00 A.M.), where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. You will have the opportunity to put your belongings in a coin locker or send your luggage to the next hotel as well if you feel the need. Once you have left the inside of the station building, we will hop on the company bus and head towards the Tateyama Alpine Route and the Snow Walls. After about an hour and a half we will arrive at the base of Mt. Tateyama at Oyama Shrine. This was where most hikers and pilgrims would start their ascent to the top of the mountain, the same area where we will be going later. Mt. Tateyama was worshipped as a place of hell and heaven and in this town, you can see the hell side of the mountain. Enma-do is unusual as it is a place to worship Enma, the god that decides who goes to heaven and hell. Down the ravine slightly is also the bridge that represents the divide between the world of the living and the world of the dead. After that little bit of exploration we will hop back on the bus and restart our journey to the top. As the bus slowly makes its way up the mountain it will finally come up to what this area is known for, the snow walls. Over the course of the year the size of the walls decrease in size over the summer to be rebuilt during the winter months. Once we arrive at the station, we will break for lunch. Feel free to look around and have something at Murodo or a bento/boxed lunch that you brought! After eating we will head back to walk along the great white barriers. It takes about 35 minutes to walk along the route and come back, but you can take more time if you want. The final part of the tour before heading back is the highlands. You will have about an hour and a half to walk around, shop and enjoy the natural paradise that is the “Roof of Japan”. There are many interesting views and formation around the station and throughout the highlands. Have a snowball fight, make a snowman or walk to some of the intriguing formations. It is simply one of the most stunning and unforgettable places you’ll ever be! Around 15:30 we will all meet up again and prepare for the descent back down to Tateyama. Enjoy the views as we head down using the bus and cable car again before boarding the tour bus and heading back to Kanazawa. We should be back at Kanazawa Station by around 19:00 (and Toyama by around 18:30) where we will say our goodbyes! Note: Please be aware that times are just estimates and can vary based on the weather conditions.

Unlock the wonders of Kansai and Hokuriku with the JR West Kansai-Hokuriku Area Rail Pass. This pass offers unlimited travel on JR trains, including access to the Hokuriku Shinkansen, for 7 consecutive days. Travel effortlessly between iconic cities such as Osaka, Kyoto, and Kanazawa, while also exploring scenic destinations like Fukui and Toyama. Ideal for visiting cultural landmarks, temples, and the breathtaking landscapes of Japan’s coast and countryside, this pass provides a cost-effective and convenient way to explore. Whether you’re visiting historical temples in Kyoto or the coastal beauty of Kanazawa, enjoy the flexibility and ease of traveling across these regions without worrying about individual train tickets.

[Secrets of Toyama: An Exclusive Journey of Culture and Cuisine] 16:00 Toyama Station／Meeting Take the tram to the old town of Toyama City 16:30 Shimakawa Candy Store Explaining the relationship between Toyama's pharmaceutical industry and the candy industry 16:50 Ikedaya Yasubei Shoten (historical medicine wholesaler) Experience traditional pill making 17:20 Chuo-dori Shopping Street Walk with English-speaking guide 17:30 Visit the sacred water of Enmei Jizo (spring water experience) 18:00 Ryotei Kagaya (Japanese-style restaurant established over 100 years ago) Kaiseki cuisine using local ingredients and Japanese sake & folk songs on stage 19:45 End of dinner Take a chartered cab to Toyama Station (visit Toyama Castle from the cab window) 20:00 Dismissal at Toyama Station [Local sightseeing around Toyama Station and Tea Ceremony Experience] 14:00 Meet / Toyama Station 14:15 CiC Underground passage (walk around the remnants of the former postwar Yamiichi/explanation of fresh fish stores, rice sales, etc.) 14:30 Go to the ground floor and ride the Tram 14:45 Choose tea cakes at long-established Japanese confectionery shops 15:15 Toyama Joshi Park (visit Toyama Castle) Armor experience (put on armor and take photos with Toyama Castle in the background) 16:00 Tea ceremony experience (experience in a traditional tea room) 17:10 Ride the Tram to Toyama Station 17:30 End of tour / Toyama Station [Fisherman Experience in Mizuhashi fishing port in Toyama City] 15:00 North Exit of Toyama Station／Meeting Charter Taxi to Mizuhashi Fishing Port 15:30 Arrival at Mizuhashi Fishing Port Explanation of the fishery and today's experience from a fisherman 16:00 Experience basket net fishing and fish sorting 16:30 Experiencing a fish auction 17:00 Experiencing to process fish 17:30 Fish dinner at Mizuhashi Restaurant Fisherman 19:00 End of dinner Take a chartered cab to Toyama Station 19:30 Dismissal at Toyama Station North Exit

This tour will start at Kanazawa Station at 8:00 A.M., where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. Once you have left the inside of the station building, we will get on the shinkansen and take the short trip to Takaoka Station. First we will walk to Zuiryuji Temple, the 350 year old temple that was built for the death of the second generation Maeda leader, Maeda Toshinaga. This is one of the aspects that make this temple unique, that in the place of a Buddhist god in the main altar, it is the o-ihai, or mortuary tablet of Maeda Toshinaga. It was built to be a grand tribute so a great amount of wealth was spent to make it in the grand continental style of temple design. There is also an altar of Buddha in a central location on the temple grounds that used the highest quality Japanese timber, with the highest quality materials imported from China for the statues. The final interesting aspect to mention is the statue of the god of toilets. It is believed that the one in Zuiryuji is the only one in existence because, historically, just the name of the god on a placard is used in bathrooms. As we head to the next destination we will travel back through Takaoka Station before arriving at the Takaoka Big Buddha. There has been a large Buddha here for centuries but the current metal Buddha is from the 1930’s, after a fire a few decades earlier. The tour will next head through the old town. Here you can see some culturally important buildings in a Meiji modern style. The dark blues and white create a surreal atmosphere that gives off a classic Japanese-Western mixture type of area. Next you will get to try making your own drinking cup. In this experience you will be able to design, pour and cool your own metal cup. This is definitely an activity that you will never forget and be able to take home a small souvenir that easily fits in any suitcase or carry-on! In the afternoon we will hop on the Himi Line train and head towards Toyama Bay. It’s a short ride until we arrive at the closest station to Shokoji, another National Treasure. It was originally built in 1471 before being moved to its current location in 1584. The last stop of the tour is a quick stop to see one of the famous views of Toyama prefecture. You have about 30 minutes to hop off the train to get a great glimpse of the very small rocky island covered in a handful of trees with the background of the imposing and beautiful Tateyama mountain range. After a long day we will finally take the train or bus back to Takaoka Station. Along the way you can still see the mountains in the Toyama Bay over the city while remembering all the historical and beautiful places you saw during the tour. From Takaoka Station we will get on our final train back to Kanazawa where we will say our goodbyes.