January 13, 2025
TOYAMA – Toyama City has made The New York Times’ list of “52 Places to Go in 2025,” recognized for such attractions as its stunning glass museum and a traditional festival — both long popular among local residents — and distinctive restaurants.
Toyama ranked 30th on the “52 Places to Go” list, which was released on Jan. 7. The city was praised as a place to “enjoy cultural wonders and culinary delights while skipping the crowds.”
“The city of Toyama serves as a gateway to the Noto Peninsula, which was devastated in 2024 by an earthquake and torrential rain and, although still recovering, is now courting tourists as part of its recovery efforts,” The New York Times said.
The paper also recommended restaurants well known to local residents, such as the Suzukeema curry restaurant and the Hanamizuki no Heya jazz bar.
“Someone called me in the morning and told me about it,” said Haruko Nakamura, whose runs the Blue Train coffee shop, which was also cited in the list, with her husband. “I was surprised that our shop has been mentioned by The New York Times.”
In business since 1980, Blue Train is popular among railway enthusiasts because they can enjoy coffee while watching model trains running around in the shop. The shop has welcomed customers from Asia, the United States and Europe, according to Nakamura.
The Toyama Glass Art Museum, which The New York Times described as a “towering cathedral of timber and light,” was designed by architect Kengo Kuma. This year marks the 10th anniversary of its opening.
The museum holds an international exhibition of glass artwork created by members of the general public once every three years. It receives entries from more than 50 countries and regions each time.
Museum director Ruriko Tsuchida said in a statement: “It is a great honor for us to be recommended in the list. I hope people will enjoy the museum, which introduces glass artwork, and take the inspiration they get here back home.”
The list also mentions the Owara Kaze no Bon festival, a traditional event in which dancers perform in procession over three days and three nights, accompanied by minyo traditional Japanese folk music played on stringed instruments such as shamisen and kokyu.
In 2024, goods aimed at foreign tourists, such as uchiwa fans and tenugui hand towels, went on sale. Events were also held in which participants both watched the dancing and tried it themselves at a local tourist facility.
According to the Toyama municipal government, a total of 135,586 foreign tourists stayed overnight in the city in 2019. The number of overnight foreign visitors dropped to 2,630 in 2021 during the pandemic, but increased to 90,682 in 2023.
Morioka was selected for The New York Times list in 2023, and that year the number of overnight foreign tourists increased to nearly 9.5 times the level in 2022.
According to Shinobu Morikawa, general manager of the ANA Crowne Plaza Toyama hotel, nearly 30% of its guests are foreign nationals, with many tourists impressed by the view of the Tateyama mountain range from their rooms.
“Toyama is a compact city that has a lot to offer visitors, such as the beautiful mountains, the streetcar, Toyama Castle and museums,” Morikawa said. “I hope the city’s inclusion on the list will provide opportunities for many people to learn about the beauty of the Toyama townscape.”