Toyama Castle Park And Ruins - Access, Highlights, And Tourist Spots

What is Toyama Castle Park?

Toyama Castle Park is a refurbished park that was created in the area where the Toyama Castle once stood. It is located in the Marunouchi area of Toyama city in Toyama prefecture. The majority of the original castle was torn down and the only part that remains is the Chitose Gomon gates that were reconstructed in 1849. There are theories that say the tenshu (*1) of the castle never existed.

Within the park grounds, a castle was re-built after the 1950s. The castle uses a construction method called the sanju-yonso method where the castle appears to be four-stories high inside but actually three-stories high inside. This building is now used as the Toyama Municipal Folk Museum to display historical artifacts from Toyama. Also in the park grounds, you can find the Sato Memorial Museum, which has a collection of antiques by the businessman and tea master, Sukekuro Sato.

Toyama Castle formally drew water from the Jinzu river and filled it in the moats to protect the castle from attacks. Therefore, the castle appeared to be floating in the water and was often referred to as the floating castle. This time, we would like to feature Toyama Castle that was once a beautiful castle floating above the water.

*1 Tenshu: the highest castle tower built in the castle grounds. Also known as the symbol of the castle.

Basic Information on Toyama Castle Park

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The Toyama Castle Park is open all year and is free to enter. However, admission is needed to enter the Toyama Municipal Folk Museum and Sato Memorial Museum.

Both museums are closed from December 28th to January 4th, but aside from that, it is open from 9:00-17:00 and last entry is until 16:30. Admission fee for each is 210 yen for adults and students below high school age may enter for free (listed prices include tax.)

Getting to Toyama Castle Park

From Tokyo to Toyama, get on the Hakutaka shinkansen bound for Kanazawa and get off at Toyama Station. It takes around two and a half hours and costs 12,210 yen for unreserved seats.

To get to Toyama Castle located in the center of the city, it is about a ten-minute walk from JR Toyama Station. Why not enjoy the views of Toyama city while you make your way to the castle?

Highlights of Toyama Castle Park

Below are some of the highlights of Toyama Castle Park.

Chitose Gomon Gates

The Chitose Gomon Gates are gates that were constructed in 1849 and are considered to be cultural assets in Toyama. The red tiles and the massive wooden doors are a must-see when visiting.

Toyama Municipal Folk Museum

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The eye-catching castle with white walls was created using Inuyama Castle in Aichi as a reference in 1954. Within the museum, there are displays of documents related to the Maeda family that once ruled the Toyama area from Toyama Castle.