Toyama

Toyama is the prefectural capital on the plain below the Tateyama range, and on a clear morning the peaks stand white behind the station. The Kagayaki reached Toyama from Tokyo in 124 minutes on the March 2026 timetable, and a reserved seat cost ¥13,180 for a date in October 2026. Trams leave from under the Shinkansen concourse. The Toyama Chiho Railway runs from Dentetsu-Toyama, beside the JR station, to Tateyama Station at the foot of the Alpine Route in about an hour.

The city eats well for its size. Toyama's tourism association credits Taiki in Nishicho with the first bowl of Toyama black ramen, a soy broth dark enough to pass for coffee. The agriculture ministry counts more than 20 specialist makers of masu-zushi, trout sushi pressed under bamboo leaves, inside the city alone, and Minamoto runs a free museum and shop on the southern edge of town.

Riders find the city on the Toyama Bay Cycling Route, the National Cycle Route that follows the shore from Himi to Asahi. Giant Store Toyama, seven minutes on foot from the station, rents carbon road bikes and e-bikes from five hours. Toyama Prefecture made cycle insurance compulsory for everyone riding a bike from 1 October 2026, so check what your travel policy covers before you hire.