Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [224]
In Ue-no-dan, Bistro Matsushima-tei (; 23-3625; mains ¥1155-1900, lunch sets ¥1200-1800; lunch & dinner daily Jul-Oct, closed Wed Nov-Jun) serves a changing selection of handmade pizzas and pastas in a chichi-atmospheric setting befitting the building’s history – a nice date spot. Or stop in for coffee and cake.
Kiso-Fukushima is a stop on the JR Chūō line (Shinano tokkyū), easily reached from Matsumoto (¥2610, 35 minutes), Nakatsugawa (¥2610, 35 minutes) and Nagoya (¥4500, 1½ hours).
Two daily buses travel each way (¥4500, 4¼ hours) between Kiso-Fukushima and Tokyo’s Shinjuku Station (west exit).
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TOYAMA-KEN
TOYAMA
076 / pop 421,000
Toyama is big in pharmaceuticals, zipper manufacturing and mountains. Visitors come for the latter, the Tateyama range, to the city’s east and south. Toyama is also a transit hub on the Hokuriku coast.
The helpful information office (; 432-9751; 8.30am-8pm), outside Toyama Station’s south exit, stocks maps and pamphlets on the city and Tateyama-Kurobe Alpen Route (opposite). Some English is spoken. Most lodgings and restaurants are outside the station’s south exit, and sights are easily reachable by tram or bus.
Toyama Municipal Folkcraft Village (; 433-8270; adult/child ¥500/250; 9am-5pm) exhibits folk art, ceramics, tea ceremony implements, sumi-e (ink brush) paintings and more, in a variety of buildings snaking up a hillside. Atop the hill, the temple Chōkei-ji (; 441-5451; admission free; 24hr) offers awesome mountain views and 500-plus statues of rakan (Buddha’s disciples) draped in colourful sashes. Toyama’s free Museum Bus takes you to the Folkcraft Village (10 minutes, hourly from 10.30am to 4.30pm), from in front of the Toyama Excel Hotel Tōkyū.
North of the city centre is the bayside Iwase () neighbourhood, the well-preserved main street of the former shipping business district. Now it’s filled with shops and private homes; even the banks look interesting. Take the Portram light rail line from Toyama Station’s north exit to the terminus, Iwase-hama (¥200, 25 minutes), make a sharp left to cross the canal via Iwase-bashi () and you’ll see signs in English. Rather than backtrack, you can return via Higashi-Iwase Station on the Portram.
There are many lodgings within a few minutes’ walk of the train station’s south exit. Toyama Excel Hotel Tōkyū (; 441-0109; www.tokyuhotels.co.jp; s/d from ¥10,972/18,480; ), located above the landmark CIC shopping centre, has large-ish singles, small twin rooms and LAN internet access. Comfort Hotel Toyama Eki-mae (; 433-6811; www.choice-hotels.jp; s/d with breakfast from ¥5800/8500; ) is a new business hotel. Neutral-palette rooms feature good beds, and buffet breakfast is decent for the price. It’s across the street and to the right as you exit the station.
Small wonder that yakuzen-ryōri, cuisine made from medicinal herbs, thrives in this city of pharmaceuticals. Try it at Yakuto (; 425-1873; courses from ¥2100; lunch Thu-Tue), by the Nishi-chō tram stop, 10 minutes’ ride from the station (¥200). Make a reservation.
Shiroebi (white shrimp about 6cm long) are another regional speciality. Shiroebi-tei (; 432-7575; mains ¥730-2200; 10am-8pm) and its shiroebi ten-don (shiroebi tempura over rice; ¥730), on the 3rd floor of Toyama Station, may be workmanlike, but locals swear by it. Next to the station, the Marier () shopping building has restaurants on its 6th floor, and the streets around CIC boast many izakaya. Masu-no-sushi (; sliced trout pressed onto rice; from ¥150) is ubiquitous at bentō stands, and the cinnamon cream puffs at Maple House (; 441-1193; each ¥150; 10am-8pm) inside the station are irresistible.
Daily flights operate between Toyama and major Japanese cities, with less-frequent flights to Seoul, Shanghai and Vladivostok.
The JR Takayama line runs south to Takayama (tokkyū, ¥3480, 90 minutes; futsū, ¥1620, two hours) and Nagoya (tokkyū, ¥7640, four hours). JR’s Hokuriku line runs west to Kanazawa (tokkyū, ¥2810, 35 minutes; futsū, ¥950, 70 minutes), Kyoto (tokkyū, ¥7960, three hours)