Toyama Castle

Toyama Castle (Toyama-jo) was supposedly built around 1543 by the lord of this region, Mizukoshi Katsushige. Maeda Toshiie became the castle governor in 1597, but parts of the castle were burned to ashes in 1609. Although major refurbishment was carried out after the incident, the donjon was ultimately lost as it was damaged by frequent fires and earthquakes. The castle is built on flat land and the remains of the stone wall and the moat are visible. The donjon which stands on the site was built in 1954, modeled on that of the famous Inuyama Castle in Aichi Prefecture. The site is now maintained as a park.

Toyama Kenritsu Kindai Bijutsukan (Museum of Modern Art)

Toyama Kenritsu Kindai Bijutsukan is a white building with a mirrored glass exterior which stands against the backdrop of the Tate-yama mountain range. A rooftop dome is designed to bring in natural light in a way that evokes the faint gleam of snow by starlight. Works kept at the museum range from paintings, sketches, woodblock prints, sculptures and artifacts to new forms of expression including plastic arts, design work with a focus on posters and chairs, and video art. The poster collection is a unique feature of the museum. Since 1985, the World Poster Triennale Toyama international poster competition has been held here, and the winning works added to the museum's collection.

Takaoka lacquerware

Maeda Toshinaga, who governed this region around 400 years ago, built a castle in the city of Takaoka, in present-day Toyama Prefecture. Tradition has it that Takaoka-shikki lacquerware was first produced when Oba Shozaemon, who moved to the castle town, coated the furniture he made with lacquer. This was followed by wardrobes and nagamochi (large oblong chests for storing garments and household goods) and eventually tableware, kitchen utensils and other items for everyday use. Takaoka lacquerware offers a wide range of reliable products backed by tradition, and was designated a traditional craft in 1975.