Discover Tonami: Tulips, Culture, and Hotels

Tonami offers a variety of reasons to visit: seasonal flowers and events, museums featuring regional themes, and insights into Kabuki and whisky making. Each attraction has its own focus.

Plan Your Train Journey and Travel Dates

To reach Tonami Station by train, take the JR Jōhana Line, changing at Shin-Takaoka. Check current services before you travel. If you are visiting for an event, also check its dates before planning your stay.

Tulips and Flowers in Every Season

Tonami Tulip Park is a 7.0-hectare city park featuring seasonal flowers, including tulips. Its landmark is the Tulip Tower: from its upper floors, you can look out over the park and its large flower beds. The Tonami Tulip Fair is held there every spring, while the winter program includes the Tulip Park KIRAKIRA Mission.

Another place to see tulips is the Tulip Shikisai-kan. Special technology allows tulips to be displayed there throughout the year, making the facility unique in the world. The flower displays therefore differ by season: the park highlights the changing seasons and spring fair, while the Shikisai-kan offers a year-round display.

The Iris Festival takes place in the water plant garden from late June. At that time, 700,000 irises of 600 varieties are in bloom. Check the dates and program for the relevant year before visiting.

Museums, Kabuki, and Regional History

The Tonami City Museum of Art has a special exhibition room, a permanent exhibition room, and a citizens' gallery. The citizens' art studio offers creative activities for children and adults. The weekday children's studio is for children in the lower elementary grades and younger. Check which program is currently available before your trip.

The Tonami Sankyoson Museum portrays life in scattered settlements across four buildings. Its themes include history and landscape, folklore, traditional farmhouses, and modern life. The Folk Implements Hall displays around 1,000 farming tools and household items traditionally used in the Tonami region and designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan. The museum grounds have walking paths where you may bring pets; check the current access and pet rules.

The Demachi Kabuki tradition dates back to the mid-Edo period. Elementary school children perform Kabuki on a stage set up on a festival float and begin rehearsals at least two months before the festival. The Demachi Children's Kabuki Float Hall displays three festival floats together, including floats actually used in festivals. The exhibition thus shows both the floats and their connection to the performance tradition.

The former Kanaoka House preserves the appearance of a thatched-roof farmhouse built in 1871. At the Shogawa Water Memorial Park, you can learn about traditional crafts and culture from Shogawa at its facilities. These places offer a different focus from the flower attractions, introducing historic ways of life and regional culture.

Whisky Making and the Saburomaru Distillery

Wakatsuru Shuzo began making whisky in 1952 at the Saburomaru Distillery. Visitors can see the production process up close. Features of the production process on display include a cast copper pot still made using Takaoka copperware techniques and wooden fermentation vats. Check the current tour arrangements before visiting.

The distillery building itself also has distinctive architectural features: it has a tiled roof and white walls, and its timber frame with trussed beams evokes the atmosphere of the early Shōwa period. The restaurant 竈flamme炭三郎 on the grounds serves lunch by advance reservation. Make arrangements in advance if you would like to dine there.

Discover more destinations: Kurobe, Tateyama, Asahi, Toyama, Himi, Takaoka, Uozu, Nanto.

For the main travel overview: Toyama Prefecture.