Toyama Hidden Gems

A bay of deep-water seafood backed by the 3,000-metre Tateyama range — the most dramatic mountain-to-sea drop in Japan.

2 spots

Climate & Best Season

Snowy winters, humid summers; the alpine route is buried under snow walls into spring. April–June and October are best.

Jade forms in the Kotaki river valley over the prefectural border in Niigata, washes down to the sea, and the current ca…

For about ten days in early April, a stretch of riverbank in the small town of Asahi produces one of the most improbable…