440 years ago, the Jōhana Betsuin Zentoku-ji Temple, a branch temple of Kyoto's Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, moved to Jōhana in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. Jōhana flourished as a temple town and is known as "Little Kyoto of Etchū." Inami also has a branch temple of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, the Shinshu Ōtani-ha Inami Betsuin Zuizen-ji Temple...
...
We visited the home and studio of Gaku Shaku, a ceramic artist from Tateyama Town, Nakaniikawa District, Toyama Prefecture, located in a corner of the Iwase district, where many houses built during the Meiji era still remain. The Iwase area flourished from the early Edo period as a port town for Kitamae ships that traveled the Sea of Japan...
...
Yao Town is nationally famous for the "Owara Kaze no Bon" festival. I set foot in Yao Town for the first time, as it is also the hometown of my husband's mother, who is from Toyama. Entering Yao Town and proceeding along a narrow, winding mountain path, I came across the "SHIMOO DES..." studio, run by the artist duo of Kazuhiko and Saori Shimoo.
...
"Sushijin" is a restaurant specializing in "Etchu-mae sushi," where you can enjoy the bounty of the sea from Etchu Toyama prepared using Edo-style techniques. The owner, Izumi Kimura, originally worked in design in Tokyo, but her love of sushi led her to become a self-taught sushi chef—a rare occurrence in the sushi world...
...
On March 14, 2015 (Saturday), the Hokuriku Shinkansen finally opened, and now Toyama, along with Kanazawa, is starting to attract attention. Kanazawa, Toyama, and other areas along the line are working hard to warmly welcome tourists, and the area is full of energy! This time, while in Toyama...
...
Returning to the "Wind Room" in Modern Suite 302 of the main building, I quenched my thirst with mineral water from the refrigerator and took a deep breath. The time to say goodbye to the sparkling Jinzu River was drawing near. Despite being the rainy season, the weather was fine, and the climate outside was pleasantly comfortable...
...
The ANNEX of "River Retreat Garaku," which was added on November 9, 2005, transcends the concept of separating the old and new buildings, revealing a new face by integrating the existing and new facilities. Ceramic artist Uchida...
...
Located on the B1 floor of the new building of "River Retreat Garaku," which was expanded on November 9, 2005, the Japanese restaurant "Rakumi" reopened on January 5, 2015. It uses abundant ingredients from Toyama Prefecture and expresses the changing seasons...
...
The French restaurant "Saveur," formerly located on the B1 floor of the main building of the resort hotel "River Retreat Garaku," reopened on May 22, 2014, as "L'évo." Aiming for authentic local production and consumption, owner-chef Taniguchi...
...
The bathhouse located on the B1 floor of the new building of the resort hotel "River Retreat Garaku" features natural hot spring water (weak alkaline chloride spring, sodium chloride spring) that springs from the Kasuga area, known for its smooth feel on the skin. The men's and women's baths are switched between 7:30 PM and 7:45 PM...
...
The café "Rivière" located within the "River Retreat Garaku" hotel becomes a self-service café space exclusively for hotel guests from 3 PM onwards. Here, works by artists active both domestically and internationally are exhibited for a limited time, creating a museum-like atmosphere...
...
The "Kaze no Ma" (Wind Room), Modern Suite 302 in the main building, where we will be staying this time, is a one-room type with a room area of approximately 55 square meters plus a balcony, accommodating 2 people and being a non-smoking room. It is furnished with abundant use of cedar and Japanese umbrella pine from Toyama Prefecture, and cypress from Aomori Prefecture...
...