Takaoka/Himi offers tourist attractions such as Budokan, Art Forest, and Kushida Shrine; sightseeing events such as Shinminato Hikiyama Festival, Otaue Festival, and Toei Tanabata Festival; and local delicacies such as Buri Daikon, Kaisendon, and Toyama Black.
The Takaoka/Himi area is blessed with the sea and rich land. The Oosakai Cave, the site of a cave dwelling said to be the first discovered in Japan, and the family temple of Maeda Toshinaga, the founder of Takaoka, are also located in this area. There are also many historic sites associated with the Manyo period poet Oban Iemochi, and the area is filled with historical romance, with old houses still standing.
Himi, facing Toyama Bay, offers fresh seafood such as yellowtail and scallops, making it a great place to enjoy seafood.
Takaoka is home to the Takaoka Daibutsu (Great Buddha), one of the three great Buddhist statues in Japan along with Nara and Kamakura. The Takaoka Daibutsu is also a symbol of Takaoka copperware. In the precincts of the temple, there is a time bell made in the Bunka period, which is designated as a cultural asset by the city.
Zuiryuji Temple, the family tree of Maeda Toshinaga, the founder of Takaoka, and a famous temple of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism, preserves a Buddhist hall, a Dharma hall, and a main gate in the Meiji eclectic style, and the Buddhist hall, Dharma hall, and temple gate were designated as national treasures for the first time in the prefecture.
The "Ainokura Gassho-Zukuri Village" is also a national historic site, and was registered as a World Heritage site in 1995. Currently, about 20 gassho-houses still exist in the Ainokura Gassho-Zukuri Village, which together with the fields and stone walls create a nostalgic landscape.
A popular spot for families and couples is the Himi City Seaside Botanical Garden. The Himi City Seaside Botanical Garden is a botanical garden that mainly plants and exhibits seaside plants from all over Japan.
In the greenhouse garden, visitors can see the largest reproduction forest of mangroves in Japan, palms, hibiscus, and other tropical and subtropical beach plants. There are many botanical gardens throughout Japan, but there are not many places where tropical and subtropical beach plants can be viewed.
Speaking of popular spots for families and couples, "Ameharu Matsutaehama Beach" is also very popular. It is one of the shallowest beaches in Japan, with a 260-meter-long beach that extends all the way to the edge of the waves, and is crowded with people every season, as both children and adults can enjoy swimming and camping.
Amehare Matsutaehama Beach has been selected as one of the 100 best beaches in Japan.
This 5-km-long gorge stretches in the middle reaches of the Konashi River, a tributary of the Oyabe River. The area is designated as "Inabayama-Miyajima Gorge Prefectural Park" and is a beautiful scenic spot, with multiple waterfalls and oddly shaped rocks forming a distinctive landscape. At Miyajima Gorge, visitors can see terraced, stair-step waterfalls. The first waterfall is also called "Litt...»
The Kaiwomaru Park is a marine park featuring the sailing ship Kaiwomaru, which was built as a training ship for the merchant marine school, and has various facilities. The park is registered as a Minato Oasis as "Minato Oasis Kaiwomaru Park. In the 59 years since its launch, the beautiful sailing ship Kaiwomaru has sailed some 1,060,000 nautical miles (about 50 circumnavigations of the globe) an...»
A traditional local dish of daikon and buri simmered with shoyu, sugar and dashi. Buri is also called “shusse uo” (fish of success in career) in Japan since buri is called by different names as they grow larger and it implies a success in career. There is a variety of dishes of buri such as buri daikon, buri teriyaki, burino anjanamasu, born and loved in Toyama Prefecture as there has been a large...»
Kaburazushi is a kind of pickled sushi made by putting fresh buri or saba between delicate and crunchy turnips made in Toyama Prefecture and pickling it in kouji. This is an indispensable local traditional food for autumn and winter. Since Echutoyamahan was separated from Kagakanazawahan, both areas have many cultural similarities, and Kaburazushi is one of the common local cuisines. Kaburazushi i...»
A nationally well-known brand of fish called "Himi no Kamburi" can be enjoyed in various flavors and tastes depending on how it is cooked. The best way of eating it is, of course, "sashimi." Very fresh sashimi has a chewy and sort of crunchy texture and its rich flavor spreads in the mouth. "Buridaikon" is also a delicious dish of buri and daikon which soaks the rich flavor of buri, and this is a ...»
Dried amaebi caught in Toyama Bay. Its bright red color without using food coloring shows that these Hoshi Amaebi were dried very fresh. Since Toyama Prefecture is known for its large production of seafood, people usually seek for "fresh" seafood, however, Hoshi Amaebi is what has been invented as a specialty made of freshness. Hoshi Amaebi is a delicacy that has richer flavor and more sweetness t...»
Dried amaebi caught in Toyama Bay. Its bright red color without using food coloring shows that these Hoshi Amaebi were dried very fresh. Since Toyama Prefecture is known for its large production of seafood, people usually seek for "fresh" seafood, however, Hoshi Amaebi is what has been invented as a specialty made of freshness. Hoshi Amaebi is a delicacy that has richer flavor and more sweetness t...»
It is a community spot equipped with many convenient facilities. It is equipped with an imizu products center, restaurants, a take-out corner, a traffic, weather, and local sightseeing information room, a parking lot, restrooms, and a rest area, allowing visitors to enjoy themselves with peace of mind. At the Imizu Products Hall, visitors can find processed fish products, salted and dried fish, a...»