[Day 2] Toyama Prefecture 3 days and 2 nights super complete itinerary! |Japan Free Travel Treasure Traveling Places!

JOYJAPAN

2024.05.21

If you are traveling to Japan, we recommend that you visit Toyama Prefecture. Toyama is one of the richest seafood treasures in Japan.
Introducing a model itinerary for a 3-day/2-night tour of Toyama Prefecture!
Here you can see the first day of the trip

[Day 1] Toyama Prefecture 3 days 2 nights super complete itinerary guide!

https://joyjapan.tokyo/course/74753743/

Day2: Absolute Sightseeing + Experiences

Table of Contents

1 Day2: Absolute Sightseeing + Experiences

Unazuki Onsen Street

Kurobe Gorge has been home to many famous hot springs since the feudal era (1600s), such as Bell Fishing Onsen, Kurogane Onsen, and Grandmother Valley Onsen, to name a few. In those days, however, Unazuki Onsen was still a virgin forest, and there were no roads, so only a few forest guards knew about the place.
It was not until the middle of the Taisho period (one hundred years ago) that some of the workers began to use the hot springs as part of the Kurobegawa power development project. This was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Unazuki Onsen.

Unazuki Onsen Street

Traffic;: It takes about 20-30 minutes by car from Kintaro Onsen. By train: 1 hour (10 minutes by free ferry from Kintaro Onsen → 30 minutes from Shin-Kurobe Station on the Toyama District Railway (bound for Unazuki Onsen) to Unazuki Onsen Station).

Unazuki Onsen

Official website:https://www.unazuki-onsen.com/

In 1973, a hot spring fountain was built in the plaza in front of Unazuki Onsen Station. When you get off the train, you can immediately feel the atmosphere of the onsen village. The fountain in front of the station is a landmark symbolizing the abundance of hot spring water from Kurogane.

Unazuki Hot Spring Foot Bath

Foot soup retro budding. The day I went there was cloudy and windy, so it was really healing to soak my feet.

The foot bath “Unazuki Onsen Station Foot Bath Kuroginagi” is the first one in the prefecture to have a foot bath in a station, and it is rare throughout Japan! It can be accessed from the platform or the adjacent road, so not only people entering and exiting the station, but also tourists visiting the onsen town can come here at any time. Designed by Ruiji Mitooka, the designer of the Toyama Subway Tourist Train "Albest Express" and the JR Kyushu Sleeper Train "Seven Stars in Kyushu," the station's simple, modern style is beautiful.

Unazuki Hot Spring Foot Bath

Traffic:: 5-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station

Unazuki Station Cheesecake

The cheese here is made with milk from Kurobe's own workshop and has a soft and fluffy texture. You can eat it on the go or take it as a package, and be sure to try the refreshing standard flavor or the rich chocolate flavor.

However, the recommendation here is the "Phantom Alpine Cheesecake" which can only be eaten in the store for a 10-minute tasting period! The shape of the cake is modeled after a snow-covered mountain, and it melts in your mouth....... It's so good it makes you shiver! The store is located on the first floor of Unazuki Onsen Station, so be sure to check it out!

Some other recommended hot spring facilities and attractions in the surrounding area.

Recommended hot spring hotels

Izumi Yamanoha, Kurobe/Unazuki-Wen

There are 91 Japanese-style rooms, 15 European-style rooms, and 35 mixed rooms. You can stay at the hotel or go back and forth on the same day. The open-air bath “Hakubutsuyu” consists of 3 levels of baths, where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Kurobe Gorge and the openness of the bath. Recently, three private outdoor pools and a relaxation room have been opened. In the buffet restaurant "Seeds", you can see the chef cooking in front of your eyes. You can enjoy freshly prepared dishes and natural ingredients unique to the area.

Official website:https://yamanoha.orixhotelsandresorts.com/

②Unazuki Hot Spring Enroku

There are 55 Japanese-style rooms, 3 mixed rooms, and 3 rooms with open-air baths. These rooms are suitable for single guests. There is also an open-air bath. All rooms and outdoor pools have a view of the Kurobe Gorge. The seasonal cuisine of this hotel is the specialty of the head chef and is a complete departure from the traditional onsen ryokan concept. You can fully experience the characteristics of the season and enjoy a perfect time here. This is a quiet Japanese-style ryokan built along the Kurobe Gorge. It's perfect for travelers who want to enjoy Toyama's cuisine and open-air baths in peace and quiet. Free Wifi is available at the ryokan!

*Official website:https://www.enraku.com/

Recommended Weekend Attractions：Tourist Train

Kurobe Gorge is located in the upper reaches of the Kurobe River in Kurobe City, in the eastern part of Toyama Prefecture, and is the deepest V-shaped gorge in Japan. The 20.1-kilometer-long Kurobe Gorge Tour Train runs from Unazuki Station to Beech Plate Station, and the one-way trip takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The train was originally built for power development, but now it has become the standard bearer of Japan's tourist trains. There is no way to get off the train to buy drinks or go to the restroom, so be prepared at Unazuki Station before you leave! The temperature in the Kurobe Gorge is cooler than in the flat areas, so be sure to put on some extra clothes when you go sightseeing.

Chinese booking site for train tours:https://www.kurotetu.co.jp/tw/

Train Tour

Traffic:: Approx. 20 minutes from Unazuki Onsen Station on Toyama Local Railway.
Get off at Shin-Kurobe Station and walk for 3 minutes. → Get off at Shin-Takaoka Station after a 20-minute walk from Kitakyushu Shinkansen Kurobe Unazuki Onsen Station.
Take a Kaketsu Noh bus (Komaki Line) from Shin-Takaoka Station and get off at Komaki Yantei.
By car: Take the Hokuriku Expressway, about 1.5 hours from Kurobe IC → about 20 minutes from L礪 IC

Shokawa Cruise: Enjoy the beautiful scenery from here!

Shokawa Gorge is located in L礪 City in the southern part of Toyama Prefecture. By public transportation, you can take a bus from Takaoka Station and get off at "Komaki Yantei" in about 70 minutes. Shokawa Gorge Cruise" is popular among overseas tourists and photographers who want to take pictures of the beautiful winter scenery here.

From the Edo period until the early Showa period, the Shokawa River was used as a waterway to transport timber harvested in the Hida Mountains. Then, at the end of the Taisho period, dam construction began, and in 1930, Showa 5, Japan's first high weir dam, Komaki Dam, with a height of 79.2 meters and a length of 300 meters, was completed. At that time, it was the largest dam in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and attracted the world's attention. Shokawa Gorge cruise ships depart from Komaki Port, the weir of Komaki Dam. The cabin of the cruise ship is heated in winter, so you can enjoy a comfortable cruise even in winter.

I would have liked to see that kind of scenery in the photo ...... But it is a great pity that there is no snow yet, just look at the photo to make up for the snow snow snow look. Spring Festival ~ February should be the best season!

Shokawa Cruise

Fees:: Omoku Onsen Line (long course) Adults 2,800 yen, Children 1,400 yen Nagasaki Bridge Line (short course) Adults 1,000 yen Children 500 yen

Chinese official website:: https://www.shogawa-yuran.co.jp/c/index.html

World Heritage Site: Five Climbing Mountains, Hapojo-zukuri Settlement

The Gokayama region in the southwest of Toyama Prefecture is surrounded by 1,500-meter-high mountains, and in winter, snow accumulates to a thickness of 2 to 3 meters. There are about 40 villages along the Shokawa River valley, and among them, the Aikura Hodamatsu-zukuri and Suganuma Hodamatsu-zukuri villages were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995, together with Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture.

This is a very unique architectural form of Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, which is the only place in Japan where you can find this type of house, in a part of the mountainous area where the two areas meet. These buildings, which look as if they have been built with their palms facing the sky in praise of the Buddha, have protected the lives of the people of Gokayama. Most of the existing Hodomo houses were built between 100 and 200 years ago, with the oldest dating back 400 years. It is believed that the houses were completed in the middle of the Edo Period (1603-1867). At that time, silkworms, saltpeter and Japanese paper manufacturing industries were prevalent in the Gokayama area. In order to ensure workspace, this high-rise hutto style of construction was developed. This is a must-see for those who love world heritage and old buildings.

Five-clamped Mountain Hopscotch Village

Traffic:: From Komaki Itsuki, take the Kaketsu-no Bus (Inaba-Shokawa ferry) to JR Joto Station, and then take the Kaketsu-no Bus (World Heritage Bus) to Suganuma; it takes 40 to 45 minutes by car.

Official website:: https://www.info-toyama.com/stories/gokayama

Suganuma Jirushi Restaurant Recommendation: Gorohei

Currently, the owner of the restaurant is the 5th generation of the family. The building is about 200 years old. Here you can enjoy local Gozan rockfish, tofu, mountain vegetables, and buckwheat dishes. Surrounded by the vivid colors of the mountains in all seasons, you can enjoy the local specialties in the old-fashioned house.

Jenny Ursula (1960-), Chinese-American physicist, astronomer and mathematician

Business Hours:: 10:00~17:00

Phone:: 0763-67-3502

Official Website:: https://www.goro-bei.com/index.html

Tea room.

Through the spacious windows, you can enjoy the view of the Happo-zukuri neighborhood while relaxing with a hot drink and spending some quiet time. We offer original coffee blends, local specialty coffees, matcha tea, buckwheat croquettes, and more.

Tea room.

Phone:: 0763-67-3066

Days off:: Tuesday

Traffic:: Suganuma (World Heritage Bus) [Takaoka~Shirakawago] To Takaoka Station 6 min (4 stops) → Kamisashi (bus) → 1 min walk

Website:: https://gokayama-info.jp/archives/535

Gozan Mountain - Murakami House

Gokayama is known as the home of hokkaido and folk music. The Murakami house is one of the representative buildings of Gokayama. It has been designated as a national important cultural asset because it retains the original appearance of the building. Both inside and outside of the building can be viewed slowly.

When you are in Gokayama, there is one thing you must experience. It's a folk music performance. Kokiriko, the local folk music, is an ancient folk music that has been passed down throughout Japan, centering on the mountainous regions of Echizaka Gokuzuyama and Uenashi. While there is a strong demand for the permanent preservation of Koshogatsu-zukuri, which is a World Heritage Site, the Kokiriko folk music, which is a historical legacy of Gokayama, will continue to be passed down to the deepest part of people's hearts and souls.

Murakami family (Japanese surname)

Mode of transportation:: By Bus: Take the World Heritage Bus from Kamisato to Takaoka Station for about 1 hour and 5 minutes→Nosako-mae: It takes about 40~45 minutes by car.

The experience of making a book town: being able to make a book

The entire building is a work of art, and when you enter the interior, there are many exhibits to marvel at for children and adults alike. It was sunset when we arrived.

Instead of buying mass-produced goods at a souvenir store, it is more meaningful to make a gift with your own hands. In the Nosaku making experience, you can try your hand at making various kinds of tin products by using the mold casting method, in which sand is compacted and fixed into a mold.
This is a crafting experience that both children and adults can participate in. The experience includes casting (molding with sand), product processing (sanding), and lettering (numbers and letters). The hot tinning operation will be carried out by the staff.

can act

Fees:: Elementary school students 500 yen Elementary school students and above 1000 yen

It takes time:: About 30 minutes

Reservation Method:: Make an appointment online, or by phone, fax, or mail.

Tel:: 0766-63-0001 (Answering time 9:00～18:00)

Fax:: 0766-63-5510

Website:: https://www.nousaku.co.jp/factory/imono/

Recommended Dinner: Kameura (Michelin restaurant)

Access: Nosakumae (World Heritage bus bound for Takaoka Station) 28 min. by bus → 7 min. on foot from Takaoka Station. About 20 minutes by car

7 minutes walk from Takaoka Station. This is the only restaurant in Takaoka City that is listed in the Michelin Guide. The restaurant serves fresh local ingredients purchased on the same day for business and pleasure travelers, and you can enjoy Toyama's aquatic products to your heart's content. The restaurant offers a wide selection of local Toyama sake, including Katsumoma and Manshuizumi. We have a wide selection of both popular brands and rare shochu.

Ice beef is not greasy at all, and is hardly distributed outside Toyama Prefecture. Fresh Toyama seafood and local ingredients are brought in on the same day, making Toyama a place to savor. For sake, there are "Katsukoma" and "Manshuizumi", which are the local sake of Toyama. Especially "Katsumoma" is a rare local sake! The sake vessels at this store are made of tinware, which we have seen in Nosaku, and they keep the sweetness of the sake. The most famous sake in Japan is Dass Matsuri, but this is a sake you won't forget after drinking it.

Kame蔵

Address:: 9-18, Mikitsuya-cho, Takaoka-shi, Toyama

Phone:: 0766-25-0480

Business Hours:: 17:30-23:00

Official Website:: https://kamezo-takaoka.com/

Recommended Accommodation: Hotel New Otani Takaoka

Hotel New Otani, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, is a well-known hotel chain in Japan. The hotel is only a 5-minute walk from Takaoka Station. Inside the hotel, there are various restaurants such as “Four Season”, a restaurant with a view from 60 meters above the ground, "To Manma", a Japanese restaurant, and "Sakura", a teppanyaki restaurant. Takaoka City is the second largest city in Toyama Prefecture, and this hotel is located in the center of the city. You can see the night view from your room and there is even a massage chair in the room! It is perfect for relieving your fatigue.

Hotel New Otani Takaoka