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Toyama · City

Takaoka

高岡市たかおかしTakaoka-shi

The Maeda family's town of bronze, lacquer and merchants

Takaoka is the second city of Toyama Prefecture, founded in 1609 as a castle town of the Maeda family and developed into a centre of bronze casting that still makes most of Japan's temple bells. It is known for the Zen temple Zuiryū-ji, a National Treasure, two preserved historic districts and the Mikurumayama float festival on 1 May.

Overview

Takaoka lies on the western side of the Toyama Plain, where the Shō and Oyabe rivers approach Toyama Bay. Long before the city existed, the area was the seat of the Etchū provincial government, where the poet Ōtomo no Yakamochi served as governor in the eighth century; the poems he wrote here make the district an important place in the history of Japanese literature.

The city itself was founded in 1609 by Maeda Toshinaga, second lord of Kaga, who built a castle here in retirement. When the castle was abandoned after his death, his successor Maeda Toshitsune kept the town alive by turning it into a commercial centre, protecting its merchants and the metal casters Toshinaga had invited. Takaoka copperware and lacquer grew from this policy, and the town's foundries still produce the great majority of Japan's bronze temple bells and many of its statues.

Takaoka is also the birthplace of Fujiko F. Fujio, creator of Doraemon, and the city marks the connection with statues and a themed tram. The Amaharashi coast, from which the Tateyama range can be seen rising beyond the sea, is one of the best-known views in Hokuriku.

Landmarks

  • Zuiryū-ji

    瑞龍寺Zuiryū-ji

    Sōtō Zen temple built for Maeda Toshinaga; its gate, Buddha hall and lecture hall are National Treasures.

  • Takaoka Great Buddha

    高岡大仏Takaoka Daibutsu

    Seated bronze Amida of 1933 made by the city's casters, often counted among Japan's three great Buddhas.

  • Takaoka Kojō Park

    高岡古城公園Takaoka Kojō Kōen

    Site of Takaoka Castle with its moats largely intact, a National Historic Site and cherry-blossom spot.

  • Kanaya-machi

    金屋町Kanaya-machi

    Casters' quarter of lattice-fronted houses and stone-paved streets, a preserved historic district.

  • Yamachō-suji

    山町筋Yamachō-suji

    Merchant street of fire-resistant earthen-walled houses built after a fire in 1900.

  • Amaharashi coast

    雨晴海岸Amaharashi kaigan

    Rocky shore with Onna-iwa islet and, on clear winter mornings, the Tateyama range across the bay.

  • Takaoka Man'yō Historical Museum

    高岡市万葉歴史館Takaoka-shi Man'yō Rekishikan

    Research museum on the Man'yōshū and Yakamochi near the old provincial capital.

Districts

  • Kanaya-machi

    金屋町Kanaya-machi

    Historic foundry district west of the centre.

  • Yamachō-suji

    山町筋Yamachō-suji

    The old merchant core, home of the float-owning neighbourhoods.

  • Fushiki

    伏木Fushiki

    Port district on the site of the ancient provincial capital.

  • Fukuoka

    福岡Fukuoka

    Former town in the south-west known for making sedge hats.

History

From the eighth century the Etchū provincial capital stood at Fushiki on the coast. Ōtomo no Yakamochi was governor from 746 to 751 and composed some 220 of his poems during his stay. Maeda Toshinaga founded Takaoka Castle and its town in 1609, but after his death in 1614 the castle was abandoned under the shogunate's rule of one castle per province.

Maeda Toshitsune built the temple Zuiryū-ji as Toshinaga's memorial and supported the town as a market for rice and cloth and a centre of casting. Fushiki became a port of call for the kitamaebune coastal ships. In the modern era Takaoka developed chemical, paper and metal industries, and the Great Buddha, completed in 1933, became a symbol of its casting tradition.

  1. 746

    Ōtomo no Yakamochi arrives as governor of Etchū at the provincial capital in present-day Fushiki.

  2. 1609

    Maeda Toshinaga builds Takaoka Castle and lays out the town.

  3. 1611

    Toshinaga invites casters to settle at Kanaya-machi, the start of Takaoka copperware.

  4. 1615

    The castle is abandoned; Maeda Toshitsune turns Takaoka into a merchant town.

  5. 1663

    Zuiryū-ji is completed as the memorial temple of Toshinaga.

  6. 1889

    Takaoka is incorporated as a city.

  7. 1933

    The bronze Takaoka Great Buddha is completed.

  8. 1997

    The main buildings of Zuiryū-ji are designated National Treasures.

  9. 2015

    Shin-Takaoka Station opens on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.

  10. 2016

    The Mikurumayama festival is inscribed by UNESCO as part of the Yama, Hoko, Yatai float festivals.

Culture

Takaoka's culture combines the literary heritage of the Man'yōshū with the craftsmanship of the Edo-period merchant town. Casting workshops, some of which welcome visitors, turn out bells, vases and modern tableware in brass and tin, and Takaoka lacquer is known for shell inlay. The seven Mikurumayama floats, decorated with metalwork and lacquer by local craftsmen, are said to derive from a carriage used by Hideyoshi to receive the emperor. The Fushiki Hikiyama (Kenka-yama) festival in May is known for floats deliberately collided at night.

Festivals

  • Takaoka Mikurumayama Festival

    高岡御車山祭Takaoka Mikurumayama Matsuri

    Held on 1 May: seven ornate floats process through the old merchant streets.

  • Fushiki Hikiyama Festival

    伏木曳山祭Fushiki Hikiyama Matsuri

    Also called Kenka-yama, with lantern-lit floats crashed into each other at night in May.

  • Takaoka Tanabata

    高岡七夕まつりTakaoka Tanabata Matsuri

    Summer star festival with bamboo decorations along the station streets.

Food

  • Kombu cuisine

    昆布料理konbu ryōri

    Kelp-cured fish and kombu-wrapped rice balls, legacy of the kitamaebune trade.

  • Takaoka croquettes

    高岡コロッケTakaoka korokke

    Croquettes promoted as a local speciality, sold by many butchers and shops.

  • Himi yellowtail

    氷見寒ぶりHimi kan-buri

    Winter yellowtail from the neighbouring fishing port of Himi.

Getting around

  • Shin-Takaoka Station is on the Hokuriku Shinkansen; the older Takaoka Station, a short ride away on the JR Johana Line, is the hub for local trains and buses.
  • The Man'yō Line tram runs from Takaoka Station through the city to the port of Shinminato in Imizu.
  • The JR Himi Line follows the coast past Amaharashi to Himi, and the JR Johana Line runs south to Tonami and Johana.
  • Buses from Takaoka and Shin-Takaoka stations serve Gokayama and Shirakawa-gō.

Day trips

  • Gokayama

    五箇山Gokayama

    Gasshō-zukuri villages of Ainokura and Suganuma in the Shō valley.

  • Himi

    氷見Himi

    Fishing port famous for winter yellowtail, with a lively fish market.

  • Inami

    井波Inami

    Temple town of woodcarvers around Zuisen-ji in Nanto.

  • Toyama City

    富山市Toyama-shi

    Prefectural capital and gateway to the Alpine Route, 20 minutes by train.

  • Kanazawa

    金沢Kanazawa

    Maeda castle city with Kenroku-en garden, about 15 minutes by Shinkansen.

Other cities in the prefecture

CapitalToyamaToyama-shiMedicine town between Toyama Bay and the Northern Alps

Frequently asked questions

What is Takaoka known for?

Bronze and copper casting, the National Treasure Zen temple Zuiryū-ji, the Takaoka Great Buddha, the Mikurumayama floats and as the home town of the creator of Doraemon.

Which station should I use, Shin-Takaoka or Takaoka?

Shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Takaoka; the historic centre, trams and most local lines start from Takaoka Station, one stop away on the Johana Line.

Where can you see Tateyama across the sea?

At the Amaharashi coast on the JR Himi Line, where on clear days, especially in winter, the 3,000-metre range appears beyond Toyama Bay.

Can you visit a foundry in Takaoka?

Several casting firms offer factory tours or workshops, and the Kanaya-machi district has shops selling cast metalwork.

Related

Sources

  1. 1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
  2. 2.高岡市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 高岡市
  3. 3.文化遺産オンライン (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁

Editorial team · Published: