Off-the-beaten-path Japan: Where to go in Toyama Prefecture

It was my first trip to Japan, and it often felt like I was either off the beaten track or very much on it. This is a destination that demands the discerning traveller not simply scratch beneath the surface but take a shovel and dig. The deeper you go, however, the more you will be rewarded and the more you will benefit the local communities you meet.

Where to stay

Conveniently located a stone’s throw from the Golden Circle (the route combining Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) is the prefecture of Toyama, which is little more than two hours north-west of Tokyo by rail. Having arrived in the region, I alighted from the shinkansen (bullet train) to join a local branch line. The train then ambled its way through pastures of glistening rice paddies, which stretched to the toes of the mountains that cradle Toyama.

My stop was Jōhana, a once flourishing temple town known for its silk weaving; now it’s a suburb of Nanto City. Like many provincial areas in Japan, it has seen its young people leave for the cities. In 2024, in a bid to regenerate the town and its centuries-old  Zentokuji Temple – home to a rich folk-craft history – the Moritosha inn took over part of the temple and welcomed visitors inside. I was one of them.

At 6am the next day, I was invited to attend a service in the temple. With the aid of Google Translate, I spent a morning listening to the small congregation. Later on, I spoke to the proprietor of Moritosha, Sari Hayashiguchi, who saw me admiring a highly decorated wood-carved Amitābha (a widely venerated Buddhist figure). She told me it was a depiction of how the world should be, and that while we cannot see this world, we can feel it.

The Buddhist teachings of Jōdo Shinshū prevail here; you’ll also find a majestic natural setting and a deep community spirit. These forces combine to nurture the idea of dotoku – the desire to lead a better, more beautiful life. This philosophy goes hand-in-hand with an aspect of the region I was eager to see more of: its folk crafts.

Local life

More than 170 years ago, following centuries of isolation, Japan began the long process of opening up. By the time the Meiji Restoration took hold in 1868, signalling the end of the shoguns and bringing modernisation to the country, Western culture was in vogue. By comparison, local crafts had become downtrodden, thanks to a period of rapid industrialisation.

In the 1920s, however, the new Mingei (folk craft) movement began to postulate that there was beauty in everyday objects. Hayashiguchi explained the Mingei belief that when something is created it is typically done so with ego. But in the Mingei philosophy, anonymous makers strive to produce everyday objects, such as pottery, lacquerware or utensils, without ego. The idea is that these objects are beautiful because they are ordinary. Their minimalist yet elegant form is a manifestation of the idea of dotoku. As such, the movement both revived and helped define Japanese traditional crafts, which have since enjoyed a lasting appeal.

Within a backroom of the temple, we stumbled across some Mingei works. Studying the black-and-white photographs on the walls, Hayashiguchi pointed out key proponents of the movement who had frequented Toyama, including founding mind Yanagi Sōetsu, who wrote the formative essay The Dharma Gate of Beauty in the Zentokuji Temple, and Bernard Leach, who having been inspired by Toyama, returned to the UK where he became revered as the ‘Father
of British Studio Pottery’.

Moritosha is often dubbed a ‘Mingei museum’ in which you can stay, with works deserving of a gallery on show throughout. Guests can also enjoy a culturally immersive escape alongside the community, who use the temple as a co-working space, kitchen, communal area and place of worship. It is a fine example of regenerative tourism affording a unique and authentic experience for visitors, offering them interactions with the local community and providing income for the area.

Regional highlights

The Toyama region maintains a centuries-long tradition of attracting artisans and master craftspeople. These days, it is also getting a glow-up. Many artists now prefer to set up here instead of in the neighbouring ‘cultural capitals’ of Kyoto and Kanazawa. Visitors can delight in a feast of galleries, studios and shops that dot the region, including in the city of Takaoka, which runs an Autumn Craft Fair (usually in September).

Also in Takaoka, I visited the workshop of master craftsperson Shimatani Yoshinori, who makes orin ‘singing bells’ (bells for temples). While watching Yoshinori gently, and not so gently, hammer the metal bells into shape, then precision-tap to fine-tune, I learnt it takes about 20 years to train as an orin maker – and a patience-testing four years to make a large bell. Yoshinori is a fourth-generation bellmaker and the studio has been in his family for 110 years.

Metal casting is another heritage industry. A visit to the venerable Nousaku Factory offers the chance to see foundry flames lick the metal into life, and then watch master craftspeople sculpt tin into fine interior goods. Out of town, I visited the pottery studio of Kim Kyungduk. It was here that I began to sense the principles of dotoku.

Having moved from South Korea, Kyungduk converted an old farmhouse into his now pottery studio, which sits in the surrounds of the serene countryside. Kyungduk said he felt that if he stayed here then something good would happen. Like the leaders of Mingei, the region had enticed him because of its alluring natural environment, community and the customs that combine to create “the spiritual climate of the land” – otherwise known as dotoku.

I wish I had known

Across Toyama, visitors will find sights that capture the Japan of their dreams, including timeless temples, wild landscapes and idyllic towns. But, in a country where pockets badly suffer from overtourism, those who travel off the beaten track will enjoy a richer experience – and it will matter more to the communities you visit. For example, if you venture further towards the coast, the Noto Peninsula offers secluded beauty and rich traditions. The area could also benefit from the income brought by visitors as it finds its feet following a tsunami in 2024.

The author travelled with Inside Japan, the award-winning experts in tailor-made travel to Japan, who offer small group tours and tailormade self-guided cultural adventures. Toyama features as one of the Japan travel specialist’s key destinations in their ‘undertourism’ initiative in which they are encouraging travellers to visit incredible places that they have probably never heard of. Learn more and plan your trip with a specialist advisor at insidejapantours.com.