Luxury holidays in Toyama

Set on the east coast of Japan, bayside city Toyama acts as the gateway to a cultural odyssey. Here’s where you can hop on to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which takes you through the country’s historic villages, where shokunin (artisans) ply crafts perfected over centuries.

When to go

Toyama’s climate hits the just-right point around September and October, when it’s less busy, too. But, it does look rather enchanting in January, when it’s often covered in glittering sheets of snow.

Getting there

  • Planes

    There are two domestic hubs serving the region: Toyama and Komatsu airports, both within a 45-minute drive of the centre. International travellers can connect via Tokyo; the flight should take around an hour.
  • Trains

    While we enjoyed the leisurely, scenic bus route through this historic prefecture, for punctuality there is a train that runs through it – Toyama Station is the city stop.
  • Automobiles

    Self-driving is fairly easy here and will give you the autonomy to stop and explore as you wish, although there are some vertiginous roads in more mountainous parts.