Rediscovering Toyama's World Heritage Sites: Gokayama, Little Kyoto Johana, and Tonami!
This time, I revisited Johana in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, which is introduced on Japan's Little Kyoto website. About seven years ago, I took the World Heritage Bus to visit the Gokayama Gassho-style World Cultural Heritage site, only passing by Johana briefly.
This time, I boarded the same bus at the same location and got off at Johana. Although I had a JR Pass, the train schedule didn’t align well after having breakfast in Kanazawa, so I opted for the bus.
When exploring Little Kyotos, they generally fall into two categories. The first type includes castle towns (Jokamachi) with large castles or areas like Bukeyashiki-dori (Samurai Residences Street). The second type features clusters of temples and commercial facilities, and Johana belongs to the latter. The town is dotted with temples, pagodas, and preserved shopping streets.
Located in a terrain similar to Kyoto, Johana is surrounded by mountains and rivers. Being far from the sea, it lacks the coastal scenery or seafood culture.
The town isn’t very large, so you can see most of the notable spots within about an hour and a half. It’s part of the World Heritage area adjacent to Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, which I visited previously.
Since the visit progressed faster than expected, I was lucky to add a trip to Tonami, the tulip city located between Takaoka and Johana.
Tonami seemed like an interesting place for flower enthusiasts, especially during tulip season. As a suburban town, it’s equipped with facilities like Aeon Mall, Don Quijote, and roadside stations along the JR line.
On the day of my visit, the early morning rain cleared up, and the weather turned sunny. Although it was quite hot, the mountain town’s sunlight wasn’t too harsh, and the gentle breeze made it pleasant to explore. I managed to take some great photos as well. Thank you!