Discover the beauty of Toyama! Take a break from the conference lectures and join one of the tours we have arranged. On Wednesday, May 17, following the day’s lectures, a number of excursions depart from the convention center. They all ultimately take the participants to Shogawa Water Memorial Park, where the Gala Dinner will begin at 18:00 that evening.
Student Professional Networking Event
If you are participating in the Student-Professional Networking Event held at 16:00 on the same day, you will unfortunately not be able to take part in the excursions. Please complete the registration form and select this event as your first choice for the excursion options. Then we will be sure to keep you a space on the bus that leaves straight for the Gala Dinner afterward!
Hiking tour from Nanto to Shogawa Water Memorial Park
A bus will take us to Nanto, where we will begin our walk in the charming, old fashioned streets of the city. A highlight of the tour will be passing Zuisenji Temple with its massive gate adorned by beautiful woodcarvings. Following the back roads past the houses and fields of charming rural Japan, we will see more temples and shrines on our way to Shogawa Water Memorial park, which we will reach after about one hour of relaxed walking.
The meeting time for this excursion is expected to be 16:05 on May 17.
A visit to the museum in Toyama’s Folkcraft Village
The Toyama Municipal Folk Craft Village is a collection of several small museums in the wooded hills west of downtown Toyama.
The buildings themselves are as interesting as the exhibits: Two of them are Gassho-style farmhouses, named for the steep shape of their roofs that resembles hands brought together in prayer. These houses have been carefully moved here from their original rural locations and are similar to the houses of the famous Gokayama area, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
Since our visit will be short, we will split up into groups that each explore one of the museums. Our visits will be to:
The meeting time for this excursion is 15:55 on May 17. Please be quick to join us after the last lecture of the day so that we will have enough time at the museum!
A scenic walk to Chokeiji Temple and the 500 Rakan statues
The Chokeiji Temple is a Buddhist temple belonging to the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. It is located in the foothills of Kurehayama, only a short distance from the Folkcraft Village, where we will start our walking tour. Passing the charming museum buildings, we will soon reach the temple grounds, where the “500 Rakan” stand facing the Tateyama mountains. It is said that the calm and peaceful expressions on the faces of these more than 500 statues of the Buddha’s disciples leave visitors deeply moved. (Photo: GOHYAKURAKANCHOUKEIJI by Jinzuu, Wikimedia, CC_SA)
We will ascend a few more meters to the ridge of Kureha-yama, which stretches out into the plain that is home to the city of Toyama, giving us a wide panoramic view of the urban area and the Tateyama mountain range. The walk will take about 40 minutes, and after we loop back to our starting point, the bus will take us to Shogawa Water Memorial Park for the Gala Dinner.
The planned meeting time for this excursion is 16:00 on May 17.
Tour of the Senkoji Temple grounds
Senkoji Temple is said to have been founded in 703, the third year of Japan’s Taiho era. Alongside Maitreya Yasui Temple in Nanto, it is the oldest temple in the Tonami area. Among the temples in the Toyama prefecture, it stands out as a rare example belonging to the Shingon branch of Japanese Buddhism. The temple guards many treasures, including a statue of Enma, a deity that judges the souls of the dead.
We will spend about forty minutes in the temple grounds, admiring the impressive architecture and taking in the atmosphere before we continue on to Shogawa Water Memorial Park for the Gala Dinner.
The meeting time for this excursion is expected to be 16:10 on May 17.
Spend some free time at Shogawa Water Memorial Park
If you prefer to spend some time exploring by yourself, we can take you to Shogawa Water Memorial Park early.
Take a stroll along the Waterfront Promenade or wish for good luck at the Koi no Miya.
Just be back when the Gala Dinner is ready!
We plan to meet at 16:05 on May 17 to take a bus directly to Shogawa.
Skipping the Excursions
If you prefer not to join any of the excursions, you can take our direct bus from the conference center to the Gala Dinner at Shogawa Water Memorial Park.
Be on time to meet at Toyama International Conference Center at 17:00 on May 17. If the bus has to leave without you, you will miss out on a wonderful dinner in a charming location at the foot of Toyama’s mountains!